Siblings Miniseries

Part One: Standing Outside the Fire

A boy of about seven, and two girls, one six, one nearly four, are playing a game of catch. A telekinesis ball floats between them. The two girls gang up on the boy, sending the ball flying out of his reach. He gives chase, and as he does, a dark figure creeps up and snatches the youngest girl. She and the older girl begin screaming. As the youngest girl is taken, the older one starts after her. Suddenly, she is grabbed by something else. As she begins screaming for help, the boy freezes, unsure of what to do. The cloaked figure begins to move away, and the girl begins to scream again. The boy remains frozen as she disappears from sight. Then, a single cry escapes his lips, "Rubye!"

"Andros?" Ashley's worried voice jerked the Red Ranger from his memories. Andros, now nineteen, gazed into the Yellow Ranger's worried expression. "Do you...wanna talk about it?" Andros did his best to keep his voice calm as he replied. "No, Ashley, I'm fine. Um...did you need something? Because I'm sure DECA can..." Ashley cut him off. "TJ's on a rampage right now. He just found another morpher, and he wants to know why you haven't given it to someone and gotten our team a sixth ranger." Andros paled, making the black stripes in his hair stand out more then usual. He rushed out to the bridge. "TJ, where did you find that?" TJ, the Blue Ranger, waved off Andros' question with one of his own. "Whose is it?" Andros sighed, taking the morpher gently from TJ. "My sister's. I've been trying to find her for twelve years. She's the only-and I mean only-person who can activate this morpher. It was made especially for her. But she vanished, and I haven't found her yet. She may not even still be alive. But I have to keep trying." Ashley looked at him. "Maybe she's on Earth. DECA could..." "Run a DNA scan, I know," Andros finished. "But that could take months, years even. Besides, I've already got her running a DNA scan. So far, no luck." At that moment, DECA spoke up. "Andros, a DNA match has been located. One Katarina Warwick, at Padua High School." DECA pulled up a photograph on the veiwscreen. Ashley grinned. "School picture." The girl's ruby-red hair was pulled into a braided French twist, which had obviously taken hours. Her smile was school-picture-plastic, as though she couldn't wait to get the camera out of her face. Her pants were of tight leather, revealing her slim legs and hips. Her top, though not leather, was skimpy none the less. It was a deep red halter top, which revealed lean abs. It was also rather low cut. Her makeup was subtly done, however, and she wore only a silver chain around her neck, revealing a pendent similar to Andros' own locket. Rubye's locket! he thought excitedly. The girl also wore a pair of thick golden bracelets on her wrists. DECA continued. "However, Dark Spectre has become aware of her existence, and though he does not know that she may be Andros' sister, he is aware that she is a prime candidate for Rangerdom. You must act quickly if you plan to get there in time."

Astronema turned away from the veiwscreen on the Dark Fortress, which held the same photo of Katarina Warwick. "So, she's the one who can destroy me. Well, we'll fix that. Ecliptor!" Ecliptor was at her side in a heartbeat. "Yes, my princess?" Astronema pointed at the girl on the veiwscreen. "I want her found! Persuade her to join us, or destroy her!" Ecliptor nodded. "Yes, my princess. Quantrons! To Earth and Padua High School! Now!"

At Padua, Kat Warwick played nervously with her locket, while her friends Mandella and Katarina tried hurriedly to fix their hair for their pictures. Mandella eyed Kay jealously. "How do you do it? Every year, you have a great hairdo for pictures. How?" Kat laughed. "Let's just say Mina has a lot of time on her hands. Oh, and the clothes? Drac's idea. So, anyway, how's life?" Mandella began to answer when the sky darkened. Kat looked up. "Okay, what the heck is going on?" Suddenly, a hand grabbed her. She spun. The hand was attached to a green and black...thing. She laughed nervously. "What are you supposed to be? Halloween's not for another week, you know." She regretted saying this instantly, because the grip tightened. "I am Ecliptor, Astronema's trusted bodyguard. You're coming with me!" Kat tried to get away, but found she couldn't break his grip. "Why, what does she want with me?" Ecliptor shrugged. "She just wanted you brought to her alive." Suddenly, a new voice rang out. "You're not taking her anywhere, Ecliptor!" The rangers rushed to her side. Kat rolled her eyes. "Just what I need, a bunch of freaks in spandex rescuing me." Ecliptor let go of her, and Andros was there in a heartbeat. "You're Katarina Warwick?" Kat nodded, frowning. "Why?" He tossed her the morpher. "Then this belongs to you." Kat rolled her eyes again. "Great. Delusional freaks. Are you by any chance related to Mandella?" Andros shook his head. "Not that I'm aware of. But there's a chance I'm related to you. Can you tell what color ranger this morpher will produce?" Kat barely glanced at it. "Red and Black Combo Ranger," she said immediately. Andros smiled, then, remembering she couldn't see his face through the helmet, nodded. "Yes. Look, just give it a try. I have a feeling this morpher was made for you." Kat strapped the morpher to her wrist warily. "How?" Andros laughed. "Just say 'Let's Rocket' and type in the sequence 3-3-5." Kat nodded. "Okay." She copied his pose and uncertainly followed his directions. When the morph was completed, Kat was left in awe. "Oh, this is cool! I never thought that I'd look this great in spandex!" Andros laughed, pulling her towards the fight. "Check out your weapon. I think you'll like it." Kat pulled out an empty tube, pushing the button. The tube revealed a red saber. Her weapon was designed like a lightsaber. Andros pushed the button again, revealing a black saber on the other end. "This is the Double-Sided Combo Saber. Your special weapon," he told her. Kat twirled it at Ecliptor, who backed away warily and finally disappeared, taking the Quantrons with him. The rangers demorphed and Kat saw Andros' face for the first time. A wave of emotions hit her, and she gasped. I know him! But...how? Andros gazed at her with some concern. "Are you alright?" She nodded, at a loss for words. He held his hand out to her, rather stiffly, as though he wasn't comfortable with handshakes. "I'm..." "Andros, I know," Kat finished. His eyes widened, and she scolded herself. Idiot! You don't know him! You've never met him before! She pulled her hand away quickly, muttering "Sorry." Ashley held out her hand. "I'm Ashley. This is Cassie, TJ and Carlos," she said, indicating each in turn. Kat merely nodded. Andros smiled at her warmly. "Come on; let us take you back to the Megaship." Kat shook her head. "No, I can't. My dad'll..." Her mind cut her off, beginning an argument with itself. But Dracula's not your real father... She sighed. Another part off her brain kicked in. Yes, he is. And he'd be worried about you if you just up and vanished... The other, peskier side of her mind kicked in. If he were really your father, wouldn't he let you call him 'Dad', 'Daddy' or even 'Father' instead of just 'Drac' or 'Dracula'? "Shut up!" she snapped at herself. "Just shut up!" The other rangers were gazing at her with some concern, and she clearly heard the one called TJ mutter, "Are we sure she's sane enough to be a ranger?" Her mind searched frantically for a line. She smiled. "Sorry. I tend to argue with my self a lot." Ashley nodded. "Probably schizophrenia." Andros smiled softly, understanding the battles going on in Kat's mind. He took her hand. "Come on. We'll call your dad and tell him where you are." Kat nodded. "Okay."

Astronema spun on Ecliptor. "You let the Power Rangers get in the way! If that girl ever..." "Sis!" Another...well, another Astronema stepped forward. She was almost an exact duplicate, except for her hair, which was blue instead of purple. Astronema sighed, and Ecliptor, who by now was used to this, shook his head, slightly amused. "What is it, Hedia?" Astronema growled. Hedia glanced at the screen. "That girl, the one you sent Ecliptor after? She's the other sister, Rubye. Our sister Rubye, Karone." Astronema sighed as Darkonda slunk into the room. "We already know of Ecliptor's utter failure, Darkonda." Darkonda grinned maliciously. "Is he going to be punished?" Hedia and Astro-Excuse me, Karone,-exchanged glances. "Yes," Hedia said as Karone unstrapped her k'lothos from her leg. She threw it at Darkonda, slicing his head off and killing him instantly. Unfortunately, Darkonda still had three lives left. Ecliptor grinned as Darkonda vanished. "Another life down." Karone turned back to her sister. "You really think she's the one, Hedia?" Hedia nodded. "I know so. Let's just hope Andros realized it."

Andros shut off the link with Earth, ending the call. "Well, he seems okay with it." Kat shrugged. "Hard to tell with Drac. He's not good at showing emotion. Now, Mina, on the other hand..." Andros frowned. "Mina? Your mom?" Kat smiled. "She's not that old! My sister." Andros' face fell. "Your-your sister? You already have a sister?" Kat placed a hand on her shoulder, but he pulled away angrily. Kat winced. "Andros!" she snapped. "What is the matter with you?" Andros glared at her. "I thought...but obviously you didn't think I was good enough to tell me about your family. Well, fine! Forget it!" He stormed out angrily, with Kat muttering hopeless protests behind him. She slumped into a chair next to an image readout monitor. Why is it so hard to get close to him? What is he hiding that he doesn't want me to know? she wondered. She switched on the monitor, which DECA had placed a photograph on. The subject was a boy, around nineteen, twenty at the very oldest, with blonde hair, almost white and very shortly cropped-the exact opposite of Andros', Kat thought-and bright green eyes. His clothing was similar to the Ranger's flight suits, except the shirt was silver, and the rest of the suit was black, rather then gray. Kat stared at the picture. He was gorgeous. "DECA," Kat muttered. "Who is he?" Rather than give a verbal response. DECA replaced the picture with one of the same boy, at about eight or nine. Kat was hit by a barrage of emotions, the equivalent of being hit by a tidal wave. Her mind spun, and one word-a name-stood out clearly. "Zhane," she murmured, not quite knowing where it came from. She stood, and her knees buckled. She collapsed to the floor, and, hitting her head against the computer console, into unconsciousness.

DECA alerted Carlos, but no one else. Carlos rushed onto the bridge, not actually seeing Kat, but noticing the vivid red streak on the image readout console. Blood! He rushed towards the console and saw Kat lying on the floor with a small, growing puddle of blood around her head. Carlos cursed quietly to himself. "DECA, is there any medical equipment on the ship that would be useful right now?" "No, Carlos," DECA said, wishing she could sound anything but cheerful. "There is not." Carlos frowned. "Why didn't you alert Andros, or Cassie? Or TJ? TJ'd know what to do." Alright, I'll alert TJ, DECA responded. "No need, I'll do it." Carlos sighed and pushed the button on his communicator. "Teej?" TJ's voice, which had always been reassuring to Carlos, came back. "Yeah?" He wasn't sure how, but Carlos managed to keep his voice calm. "Um…there's a situation on the bridge. Can you come help me out?" There was a pause, then, "What kind of situation?" "Blood. Lots of blood." There was an edge of panic in Carlos' voice now. TJ tried to keep his own voice calm. "Just relax, Carlos. Who's bleeding?" Silence. "Carlos?" "Kat. From the back of her head." TJ sighed. "Okay. Just...just apply pressure to the wound. I'll be there as soon as I scrounge up some supplies. Just keep pressure on her head. Do not loosen the pressure, okay?" Carlos was silent a minute, then spoke. "Okay." The link went dead.

TJ rushed onto the bridge, carrying an old shirt to use as a bandage and a couple yards of gauze that he'd managed to locate. He didn't notice Andros at first, only Carlos slumped in a chair. "Carlos!" TJ said. "Why aren't you applying pressure to the wound?" Carlos pointed towards the floor, where Andros was holding Kat tightly in his arms. TJ kneeled, speaking softly. "Andros, what happened?" Andros looked up at TJ, and TJ could see that Andros had been crying. "I-I don't know." His voice was shaking. "I just got a call from Carlos to come to the bridge. He wouldn't say why, but he sounded terrified, so I came. And I found this." TJ lifted Kat's body gently to examine the wound as best he could. It was too bloody to tell. He sighed. "From what I can tell, the damage isn't too bad, but it will take some work. Which I can do, but I'll need your permission, Andros. Or her father's." Andros frowned. "Permission? What kind of work are you talking about?" TJ sighed deeply. It was this aspect of being a doctor that he did not look forward to. "I'll need to clean the wound before I can do anything. That way, I can assess the damage. Chances are, she has a concussion, which means she needs a hospital. If not, she'll stay on bed rest a few days after she wakes up. Either way, you'll have to take it easy with her." Andros gazed at TJ, eyes wide in unmistakable fear. Then, to everyone's surprise, he nodded. "Please." He held up her locket. "This is the proof that she's my sister. I just found her. I don't want to lose her again." TJ nodded. "Understandable. Is there a med lab on the ship?" Andros nodded. "Yeah, follow me." He carried Kat out of the bridge area, followed closely by TJ.

DECA locked the door leading to the smaller medlab. TJ could use the big one. The little one was occupied. Andros led the way in, setting Kat on the medical table. TJ looked at him, seeing how much he was hurting. "Andros, maybe you shouldn't be in here while I do this," TJ suggested softly. Andros nodded. "Right." He left, leaving TJ to work in peace. TJ dug in the cabinets, finding Lysol, bandages, several bottles of chloroform and some soap. He grabbed the soap, not sure what to do with the rest of the stuff. He cleaned the wound, revealing a deep gash down her scalp. "Damn!" He didn't have the equipment necessary to fully help Kat. Unless…He noticed the locked door. "DECA, what's in there?" No reply. "DECA?" Again, silence. TJ sighed. "Okay, well, I need to get her to a hospital." Nothing. "DECA, if she doesn't get to a hospital soon, she'll die!" That finally got DECA's attention (the sad thing was, it was a true statement). "Teleporting." DECA teleported TJ and Kat to a hospital parking lot. TJ rushed her inside. "I need some help over here!" A doctor and a nurse jumped up. "What's the problem?" TJ explained quickly, and the nurse rushed Kat back to a room. The doctor turned to TJ. "Well, I'll be damned! Theodore Jay Jarvis Johnson! Where in the universe have you been?" TJ shrugged. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

DECA turned her attention back to the occupant of the smallest medlab, where the cryogenic tube was kept. In the cyrotube was another Ranger, who right now fully demanded DECA's attention. This Ranger was Zhane, and DECA could tell that today might be different, and Zhane might wake. She had been hoping to use him to stimulate Katarina Warwick's memories, of KO-35, Andros, and most importantly, of herself. Zhane stirred slightly in the tube, but DECA knew better then to get her hopes up. However, when he moved again, her heart leapt for joy (at least, it would've if she were human and had a heart). The tube slid open slowly, and Zhane sat up. He looked slightly dazed. He tried to speak, but no sound came out at first. DECA watched him struggle for a few agonizing moments; then he finally managed to croak, "DECA? What happened?" DECA hesitated a moment, then answered. "You were cryogenically frozen, Zhane. You were badly injured in a battle on KO-35. You would have died if you hadn't been frozen. I was healing your wounds." The sweet, alto-y tones of DECA's voice were usually reassuring to Zhane, but he couldn't help the flicker of fear as he asked, "And how long was I…frozen?" "Two years." Zhane breathed a sigh of relief. Thank the gods; I can still be there for Andros. "And Andros?" "Is on the bridge, cleaning up." Zhane frowned. Andros, cleaning? "What is he cleaning up?" "Blood. There was a bit of an accident on the bridge." Zhane frowned, yet DECA couldn't help her happy feelings. "What kind of accident?" Zhane's voice sounded closer to normal now, and DECA was near ecstatic. "One of the girls, a new Ranger, fainted. She hit her head on the image readout console. I believe the Blue Ranger took her to an Earth hospital." Zhane looked confused. "Blue Ranger? A female ranger?" Suddenly, his heart did flip-flops. "If there's a female ranger, then that means…Andros…he found…?" He mentally cursed to himself. When did I become so inarticulate? "Rubye?" "Yes. Rubye was found today." Zhane's heart lurched; DECA's voice had become forlorn. "She doesn't remember much. She doesn't even answer to Rubye anymore..." Zhane's face fell. "Not even Andros?" "She did remember something before she passed out." Zhane looked excited. "What did she remember?" DECA scanned her databanks. "She said 'Zhane.'" Zhane's heart lurched again, but this time it was an unpleasant sensation. "She passed out from remembering me?" DECA's voice was ashamed now. "It may have been my fault. I forced the memory upon her." "DECA!" DECA's attention was elsewhere, though. Zhane waited, and when DECA turned her attention back to him, he could feel the desperation in her plea. "Go to Andros. He needs you right now." Zhane nodded, putting on the jacket of his flight suit. He was out of the room, down the hall, and smack into the Pink Ranger.

Cassie took a step back, preparing to initiate the morph sequence. However, the person-at least, Cassie hoped it was a real person-didn't look hostile. He was…beautiful, in Cassie's eyes. And it was obvious that he was worried about something. He smiled, and Cassie's fear melted. "I'm so sorry," he said, taking Cassie off guard. "I should have been paying more attention to where I was going." Cassie smiled back brightly. "No, it was my fault. I'm Cassie, by the way." She held out her hand, and he stepped back as though she were offering poison. Cassie laughed. "It's a handshake," she explained. He frowned, but placed his hand in hers. She shook it. "See? You're still alive." He laughed. "I'm Zhane." Though Cassie's smile remained, it was obvious she was confused. "The same Zhane that was in the cryotube?" Zhane nodded. "The same." Cassie laughed. "Does Andros know you're awake? He'll be ecstatic." Zhane's smile faded a bit. "Yeah, he will. I was just on my way to tell him, actually." Cassie nodded. "I'll quit hogging you then." She moved around Zhane and started off. She smiled as she distinctly heard Zhane ask, "DECA? What does she mean by 'hogging'?"

Zhane entered the bridge silently. Andros was in the middle of a call to Earth. "Yes, I was just getting ready to go down to her." There was a muffled reply, and Andros nodded. "Yeah, I'll be sure to let him know. I've got to go. I'm going to go down to her." Another muffled reply. "You're welcome. I thought I should tell you, seeing as how you are her father." There was a distinct note of anger in his voice now. "Yes, I'll be sure to keep you posted." He ended the call. Zhane could see his pain, and he heard Andros call out to him-Zhane, I don't know if you can even hear me, but Rubye's in trouble. I just found her, and now I'm going to lose her again! It was heartbreaking for Zhane to hear. He moved silently, stopping directly behind Andros, and wrapped his arms gently around him. Andros tensed, pulling out of Zhane's grasp. As Andros turned around, Zhane could visibly see exactly how badly he was hurting, although his eyes were full of anger. As he turned, Zhane watched his expression go from anger to shock. "Zh-Zhane?" Zhane nodded. "Yes, Andros, it's me." Andros froze for a moment, during which Zhane threw his arms around him. As soon as Zhane's arms were around him Andros broke down. He sank to the floor, sobbing, and Zhane sank with him. "Ssh, it's okay, Andros," he murmured. Andros gazed at him with teary eyes. "Zhane, it's not, it's not okay. Rubye's…" Zhane nodded. "I know. DECA told me." Zhane's arms tightened protectively around Andros while Andros continued to sob. "Zhane, I don't know what to do. I just found her this morning. I can't…I won't lose her again." Zhane nodded. "I know, Andy." He cursed to himself. I've warned him about keeping his emotions bottled up like this! Andros looked into Zhane's eyes, and Zhane panicked, thinking Andros had heard his rant. Andros wiped away his tears. "I know what you're thinking," he began, "and you're probably right. I shouldn't be bottling up my emotions like that. It isn't healthy." Zhane nodded, and Andros continued. "But it's hard for me. I'm not you, Zhane. I've never been comfortable with my emotions. I hate showing them, and you know it. Ever since the…disappearance, I've been walling myself off. Even Hedia, young as she was, noticed. And when my parents sent her away, just before the attacks…" he shuddered. Zhane's hug tightened. "Ssh, Andy, don't think about it." Andros gazed at him, eyes shining with unshed tears. "I'm just…so glad I have you back. I don't know what I'd do otherwise."

Karone? Hedia watched her sister nervously. If Dark Spectre ever found out there were two Astronemas…well, she didn't want to think about it. Karone nodded, cutting Dark Spectre off smoothly. "Understood, Dark Spectre. The Rangers are to be destroyed." Dark Spectre glowered at her. "Do not fail me again, Astronema. Otherwise I will crush the Dark Fortress while you sleep." Karone didn't flinch (visibly), merely nodded. "Understood, Dark Spectre." Dark Spectre vanished, and Karone turned to her sister. "Next time, he can yell at you. He's never threatened me before…What's wrong?" She had just noticed the look on Hedia's face. "Rubye. She's…in an Earth hospital. It looks like she's in a coma." Karone's eyes widened. "Do you know…?" Hedia shook her head. "NO. But I was hoping that Clippy could watch her for us, maybe find out what happened?" Ecliptor nodded. "Of course." Hedia gazed at a veiwscreen. "Be careful. It looks like the Blue Ranger"-she practically spit out the words-"is with her."

TJ had been sitting at Kat's bedside for about an hour when the door opened. The person who entered was male, about eighteen, and looked extremely worried. TJ smiled reassuringly. "I'm TJ. Are you looking for Kat?" The guy nodded, brushing some of his long (and tangled-When was the last time his hair saw a brush? TJ wondered) black hair out of his eyes. "Yeah, I am. My name's Pride. I'm her boyfriend." He frowned. "Funny. I'm pretty sure I know all of Kat's friends, yet I'm also pretty sure I don't know you." TJ nodded. "I just met her about six hours ago, actually." He held out his hand. "Theodore Jay Jarvis Johnson." Pride returned the handshake. "Pride. Just Pride. What happened to her?" TJ began to explain when Kat stirred. "Look, she waking up." Pride rushed to her side, clutching her hand tightly as her eyes opened.

Kat's vision was blurred at first, but as it cleared, she could make out two figures standing near her. One, in blue, she didn't recognize. It took her a second, but as soon as she realized her hand was being squeezed to the point of breaking, she recognized Pride. "Ow," she muttered. She sat up gingerly. "What happened and where am I?" She gazed at the guy in blue. "And who the heck are you?" He grinned. "And Andros thinks you're his sister? I thought people always remembered those they're supposed to hate. I'm TJ." She frowned, and then nodded. "TJ. Yeah, I remember you. What happened?" Pride faced TJ. "I was wondering the same thing." TJ shrugged. "All I know is Carlos found you unconscious and bleeding from the back of your head. The Megaship doesn't have the equipment necessary to treat head wounds. "He laughed. "Andros keeps Lysol and chloroform in the medlab." Kat nodded. "Sounds like Andros." Pride frowned, his brow furrowed. "Sorry, but you guys lost me at 'bleeding from the back of her head.' Who's Andros, and what's a Megaship?" Kat smiled, leaning her head on Pride's shoulder. "I'll take you to the Megaship as soon as I get out of here. And Andros is a friend." As an afterthought, she added, "Possibly a relative." Suddenly, she clenched her eyes shut, drawing her legs up to her chest and curling into a ball under the blanket. She squeezed Pride's hand. "No!" she muttered in a terrified voice. Pride blanched and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "What is it? What's wrong?" TJ punched the button on his communicator. "Andros!" Andros' voice came back in a hurry. "What's wrong, TJ?" TJ sounded scared, a rarity. "Kat. She's awake, but something's got her freaking out really badly." Silence. Then, his voice breaking slightly, Andros responded. "I'm on my way."

Zhane watched Andros nervously. He was so fragile, letting his emotions show more than ever. He was in tears, having just finished speaking to…TJ. Kat must be what Rubye answers to now. He clenched his fist. Bloody durachè! He wrapped an arm around Andros. "Andy, go to her. Chances are, she's remembering something." Andros nodded. "Right. You…" "Should stay here," Zhane finished sadly. "I know. I'll just…go acquaint myself with the other Rangers or something." Andros nodded. "Right. I'll…um…I'll be back soon." He teleported out. Zhane wandered towards the rec lounge, finding three of the other five Rangers. He smiled, recognizing Cassie, who grinned back. The other two, a girl in yellow and a guy in black, looked confused. Zhane held out his hand the way he remembered Cassie doing. "I'm Zhane." Ashley smiled. "Oh. DECA mentioned you'd woken up. I'm Ashley, this is Carlos, and that's…" "Cassie." Zhane nodded. "We've met." Ashley frowned. "Where's Andros?" "With Kat, I think," Zhane said. "He just left. He'll be back soon. So will…um, I think his name was…TJ?" Ashley nodded. "Well, why don't we get to know each other?" Zhane nodded. "Alright."

Andros rushed into Kat's hospital room, waving off TJ and the person-he assumed Kat's boyfriend-he didn't know. Pride and TJ both moved back. "Ssh, its okay, Andy's here," he murmured in Kerovian. "Your Andy's here. Everything's okay." He clutched her hand. Kat opened her eyes slowly. "AN-Andros?" Andros nodded. Kat trembled. "I…" She collapsed into Andros' bear hug. He stroked her hair as she began to sob. "I was terrified. Why…I was six. Why would someone kidnap a six-year-old?" Andros shook his head. "I don't know." Kat gazed into his eyes. "Why didn't you help me? I was screaming for you and you never came." Andros looked away, his voice small. "I…I was terrified. I didn't know what to do. I'm sorry." He loosened his grip, pulling away. He sounded miserable. "I'm the big brother. I was supposed to protect you." Kat threw her arms around him. "Andy, it's not your fault. I…" She was cut off by the arrival of someone very… (Author's note: I'm at a total loss for words here. Just go on to the next section. You'll get it.)

Ecliptor received a very unwarm welcome. The Blue and Red Rangers both jumped up, prepared to morph, and the other person-Pride, Ecliptor remembered his name was-wrapped his arms protectively around the girl. Ecliptor held up his hands, palms out, the universal gesture of peace. "Relax. I come in peace. Astronema gave me very specific orders to make sure no harm comes to Kat." Andros laughed bitterly. "Since when does Astronema care what happens to a Ranger?" Ecliptor glared, and everyone instinctively flinched. "Since this Ranger, who just so happens to be your sister, Red Ranger, also happens to be her sister." Andros froze. "Wh-what?" Ecliptor nodded. "Well, that's what I was told. You'd have to ask her yourself to find out for sure. Now, I have a job to do, and if you Rangers get in my way, I do have permission to obliterate you." Andros backed down. "Fine, but if you hurt a single hair on her head, I will destroy you." Ecliptor smiled. "I doubt you could, but I'll agree to you terms. However…what?" Kat was gazing in Ecliptor's direction, a strange look on her face. "What'd I say?"

Kat was afraid. First, the person-or whatever-that had tried abducting her earlier that day had shown up out of the blue, and now she was hearing voices she'd never heard before(at least, she didn't remember hearing them before). It sounded nervous, and for good reason, as Kat had just asked rather aggressively who the speaker was. You don't remember me? I'm your little one. It's Hedia and Karone, your babies. Kat felt Pride's arms tighten around her as she frowned, gazing at Ecliptor. He met her gaze. "What's wrong?" She shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment. Then she nodded and looked at Andros. "Hedia? Karone? What happened to them?" Andros turned away. "I don't know. Karone was taken the same day as you, and Hedia…our parents sent her away a few years afterwards. I don't know what happened to either of them." Ecliptor made a noise somewhere between a growl and a grunt, mostly to get their attention. "You won't believe me, of course, but I know where both your sisters are." Kat's eyes widened. "Tell us, please." Ecliptor smiled(sort of). It's more of a matter of who they are actually. When Darkonda kidnapped Karone, she was handed over to me. I raised her…according to Dark Spectre's orders. She'd be…sixteen, I believe. Sixteen, perfectly fine…and has been trying to kill the Rangers for….almost a year now." Andros blanched. "Karone is Astronema!" Ecliptor nodded. "So is Hedia. I found her when she was ten. I thought she was Karone. They've been with me for seven years now. They're both perfectly fine, and they both know the truth." "There's TWO Astronemas!" TJ yelped. Andros shrugged. "That explains a lot. Like how she always manages to change her hair in the middle of a battle…stuff like that." He grinned. "And why Teej here is always getting the crap kicked out of him more then the rest of us. Hedia was supposed to be the Blue Ranger before…" Kat nodded. "Thanks, um…" Hedia's voice found it's way back into her mind. Call him Clippy. He likes that. And if you're angry with him, he's Cliptor. He's only Ecliptor in front of Dark Spectre. Kat smiled. "Thanks, Clippy." Pride laughed. "No offense, but 'Clippy' doesn't sound overly evil." Ecliptor nodded. "I know. My real name is Ecliptor, but Hedia, Karone, and, I guess, now Kat call me 'Clippy'." Pride smiled. "It's just…and don't get me wrong, you do seem evil, it's just, well…it's kind of…sweet, the way you seem to care about them." Ecliptor nodded. "Really, though, who told you I was evil?" Kat leaned back against the pillows. "So how long am I stuck here?" TJ smiled. "I'll go get the doctor. He'll tell you." He dashed out, and came back in about five minutes, doctor in tow. "Everyone-" he glanced around; Ecliptor was safely hidden-"This is Doctor Johansson. He's in charge of this ward." Kat smiled. "Hi. When can I go home?" Dr. Johansson laughed. "Whoa! We need to make sure everything's alright before we let you out." He smiled. "We'll take some x-rays, and if everything checks out, you can go home tonight. Okay?" Kat nodded. "Sounds reasonable." Dr. Johansson brought over the wheelchair, and Pride lifted Kat easily into it. Kat's smile widened. "I feel like a princess right now. I should get injured more often." Dr. Johansson grinned. "Well, you're in the right place for that." He began wheeling her out. Andros moved to follow them, but TJ stopped him. "First rule in a hospital: Never go into the x-ray rooms without proper clearance. Meaning doctors and patients only." Andros nodded. "Okay, sure. How long do x-rays take?" TJ shrugged. "Don't know. Oh, before I forget. Andros, Pride. Pride, Andros." Pride held out his hand. "Nice to meet you." Andros nodded, but didn't return the handshake. "Likewise, I'm sure." TJ smiled apologetically. "He's a bit distracted. He doesn't want to lose his sister. Plus, he's not a people person." Pride nodded. "I understand." Dr. Johansson chose that moment to bring Kat back in. She was grinning. The doctor looked at Andros. "That was some head injury. However, she's perfectly fine, and you can take her home whenever you're ready." Andros' grin returned and he threw his arms around Kat. Pride laughed. "Um…I'm now invisible, aren't I?" Kat beamed at him. "No, Andros just got there first." Andros moved back, mumbling an apology. Pride smiled and threw his own arms around Kat. "Now what?" Kat and Andros exchanged glances. "Megaship?" Andros asked. "Yeah." Kat smiled at Pride. "Megaship."

Zhane was enjoying the other Rangers' company. Cassie, the pink Ranger, was sweet, telling him about everything. Carlos, the black Ranger, was also nice, but he seemed shy, very quiet. And Ashley…well, he liked Ashley. The way she talked about Andros…Zhane made a mental note to thank the yellow Ranger for taking care of Andros. Though he wasn't sure when would be a good time to tell them about himself and Andros. He knew Earthlings weren't as open about sexuality as Kerovians…He could only hope they'd understand. Cassie and Carlos might, but poor Ashley…she loved Andros as much as Zhane himself loved Andros. Gods, this would break her heart. But he knew Andros had to choose, and Zhane had a funny feeling it wouldn't be the yellow Ranger. There's just something about a lifetime friendship and five-year relationship you just can't hope to compete with. Not to mention Rubye-Kat! He corrected himself-would never forgive them if they broke up. He shuddered, remembering the last time Andros' "birthday present" had been angry with them. He'd been afraid of cats ever since the incident, which had consisted of tying string to a telekinesis ball, floating it above Zhane's head, and setting an angry cat loose at it. Not to mention the glue in Andros' hair. They'd never told her she was too little again, that was for damn sure. He smiled at the memory. Ashley's eyes sparkled. "You really think I have a shot with Andros?" Zhane frowned. Damn! I missed something here... "Sorry, Ash, I wasn't paying attention. I was remembering something Andros' little sister did to me once…" He smiled sheepishly. "Angry cats hurt." Ashley laughed. "I'd imagine. Anyway, I was asking you if I should even bother asking Andros out." Zhane's smile faded. "Um…well, I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you guys. Andros is, ah, already seeing someone." Ashley suddenly looked like she was about to cry. "Who?" Zhane turned away from her, focusing his gaze on the Simutron instead. He didn't want to see her face when he told her. Ashley placed a hand on his shoulder, ignoring the fact that he flinched slightly. "Who, Zhane?" He continued to stare at the Simutron. "Me," he whispered, so softly that it was almost inaudible. "Andros is dating me." He winced as Ashley jerked her hand from his shoulder, as though burned. "Wh-what? This is a sick joke, right?" Zhane shook his head and looked at the other Rangers, avoiding Ashley's gaze. Cassie looked a little surprised, but Carlos…he'd known all along there was already someone in Andros' life. He could just…tell these things. Zhane finally chanced a glance at Ashley, but Ashley had run from the room. Cassie had followed, leaving Zhane alone with Carlos. Zhane opened his mouth to say something, but realized he was basically going to stand there with his mouth open stupidly. Luckily, Andros entered the room at the moment, followed by his sister and a couple of guys. Zhane ignored them for the moment, instead choosing to throw his arms around Kat. She grinned, but as soon as she saw Zhane's face, her smile faded. "Zhanie, what's wrong?" Zhane looked at Andros. "Ashley knows," he mouthed silently. Andros paled. "Um, Teej, Carlos? Why don't you show Kat and Pride around the ship?" The black and blue Rangers nodded, leading Kat and Pride from the bridge. Andros gazed at Zhane. "How'd she find out?" Zhane looked sheepish now. "Well, she kept asking me if she should ask you out. I had to tell her something, and you know how I feel about lying." Andros turned, slamming his hand into TJ's locker. "Damn! Gods, why does something like this always happen?" Zhane remained silent. He would never get used to hearing Andros yell. Andros is furious. Andros is also one hell of a good liar. Because Zhane knew the truth. It wasn't the fact that Ashley knew. Andros had meant to tell her, whether Zhane had woken or not. And it wasn't because Zhane had told her, because that meant Andros didn't actually have to. No, it was the fact that Andros had to choose now. And the Red Ranger hated to choose.

Kat paused outside one of the bedrooms. Someone was crying. She waited until TJ, Carlos and Pride had moved away, then knocked. No answer, but the door was unlocked. She entered. Ashley was lying on her bed, sobbing. Kat placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ash, sweetie, what's wrong?" Ashley gazed at her with teary eyes. "Andros was le-leading me on. He se-seemed to like me, and th-then I found out the tr-truth. I wa-was only a di-distraction! H-he just ne-needed someone to pa-pass the time until Zh-Zhane woke up!" Kat paled slightly and drew Ashley into a tight hug. "Ashley, he did-does-like you! He was planning on asking you out before Zhane woke up! And even if he doesn't like you romantically, it's really stupid to ruin your friendship over a guy!" She smiled. "Okay. Did that just sound totally weird? Ruining a friendship with a guy over a guy?" Ashley laughed weakly. "It does seem stupid. And it's not that I hate the idea of a guy dating another guy. It's just…" Kat nodded. "You really wanted Andros, I get it." Ashley turned away. "It's just…everyone but me gets what they want. I always get the leftovers!" Kat nodded. "I know what you mean." Ashley spun on her. "Do you? You have the guy you want. And I can tell that he's head over heels for you. I bet you two have never even fought. And you don't have to worry about someone stealing him from you!" Kat clenched her fist. "How would you know? You don't know what goes on in my life! FYI, we've broken up before! And I'm willing to bet that if I'd left him on Earth, that little viper May would've sunken her claws into him so fast, he wouldn't have known what hit him!" She glared at Ashley. "I guess we have more in common then you think!" She didn't realize just how angry she sounded until Ashley spoke. She was whispering. "I-I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to imply…" Kat turned away, calming herself down. "No, it's okay. It's just…I think I know better then anyone what you're going through." Her voice dropped. "I've been hurt before. Remember, I said I'd broken up with Pride before?" Ashley nodded. "Yeah." Kat sighed. "Well, we, um…we were apart for almost a month. That's when May moved in on him. I thought he'd moved on and chosen her over me. I got depressed, really depressed." Her voice became a whisper. "I…um…" She sighed, keeping her voice so low that Ashley had to lean in to hear her. "Pride doesn't know this, and I don't want him to, but I tried to commit suicide." Ashley brought her hand to her mouth. "Oh, my god. Well, obviously, you didn't succeed, but how did…I mean, what happened?" Kat lowered her head. "I, um, I'm only here today because my friend Amber realized what I had done. She got there in time to save my life." A tear slid down Kat's cheek. "She told Pride that I was becoming increasingly depressed because I thought that he'd left me. She told him that she was afraid I'd try something. She didn't tell him I already had." Kat removed the thick bracelets she wore, revealing to Ashley faded scars on her wrists. "I tried to slit my wrists. Amber came in right after I did it. She stopped the bleeding and talked to me. She helped me get through it. I never told Pride I tried to kill myself." Ashley moved to Kat's side, wrapping an arm around her. "And what about your father? Does he know?" Kat nodded. "Amber had me tell him. He wasn't overly thrilled, of course, but he was just happy I was alive." Ashley smiled. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." Kat nodded. "Thank you."

Zhane had paused outside Ashley's door, waiting to go in. He overheard Kat talking about having tried to commit suicide. "Oh, god!" He had to tell Andros, but he didn't want Kat to know he knew. He didn't think she fully trusted him yet. Well, at the very least, he could let Pride know. But Kat had specifically told Ashley that she didn't want Pride to know. Zhane didn't know what to do. If he told anyone, Kat would hate him. But if he didn't and they found out, he'd be in trouble for not telling. He was lost. He decided to wait and see what happened.

Hedia couldn't take it anymore. Every time Dark Spectre was angry with them, he threatened to crush the Dark Fortress. He'd even managed to reduce Karone to tears. She was sick of it. She, Karone, and Ecliptor had been talking, and they'd decided it was time. Time to get in contact with the Power Rangers. Karone had Clippy call the Megaship. "Power Rangers. Meet me on KO-35. I know where Zordon is." She ended the transmission. "Hopefully, Andy'll realize that it's me."

Cassie was rather confused. It made no sense. Their biggest enemy was offering to help them. Why? She had DECA contact the other Rangers. They all came rushing in, including the newest one, Kat. Cassie smiled warmly at her, and Ashley gave Zhane a forgiving look, walking over to him. "I'm sorry, Zhane, Andros, for the way I was acting. I was being an idiot." Zhane and Andros both smiled. "It's okay, Ashley," Andros replied. "I should have told you." Ashley smiled. "I understand why you didn't, though." Cassie cleared her throat. "We have another issue," she began. "Astronema just contacted us. She wants us to meet her on KO-35." Andros jumped up. "DECA, set a course for KO-35." TJ was outraged. "You're going to trust that witch! Why?" "Because she's our sister!" Kat snapped. "That's why!" TJ backed down. He didn't want to upset Kat. Andros nodded. "Yes. That's why. Look, TJ, can you just trust me for once? Please?"

TJ nodded. "Yes." Andros smiled. "Thank you. DECA, set course for KO-35."

Kat wandered aimlessly around the ship. She felt like crap. She'd told Ashley about her suicide attempt, but now she didn't think she should have. Ashley was bound to tell someone, probably Andros, and eventually, Pride would find out. She could tell him herself, but...she didn't want to risk him not trusting her, or forcing her into some type of therapy, or, worst of all, leave her. She doubted the last fear would come true, because he would realize that it would cause her to revert back to being suicidal. But she didn't want to cause him to worry about her either. I'm at a brick wall with no way around it, she thought miserably. She smiled inwardly at the allusion to one of Mina's favorite sayings. Mina! Of course! Mina would know what to do! She smiled happily, but the smile faded when she remembered they were on course to KO-35. I can't get to Mina from here. And I'm not calling her on the Megaship. Too many chances someone could overhear.

Of course, as luck would have it, Mina chose that exact moment to contact the Megaship looking for Kat. DECA was even nice enough to inform Kat that she could take the call in the privacy of her room, which she gladly did. She smiled brightly as Mina's image appeared on screen. Mina smiled right back. "Kat! How are you? It's so quiet around here without you!" Kat laughed. "Chill, Min. I'm fine. I miss you too." Mina giggled, and for a moment it was just like old times. But then Mina's face became somber. "Honestly, how is Andros treating you? If he's doing anything you don't like…" Kat smiled. "Min, chill out. Andros treats me like a princess. He takes care of me. Exactly the way you and Drac think I should be taken care of." She looked down, suddenly unable to look Mina in the eyes. "Min, I need some advice." Mina nodded. "Okay, sweetie. You know you can come to me for anything. What's up?" Kat sighed. "Remember a couple years ago, when I…you know…tried to…um…" Mina nodded. "Kill yourself?" Kat nodded. Mina sighed. "Yes, I remember. What brings it up now?" Kat couldn't look at Mina. "I was talking to Ashley, and I told her about it, and now I'm afraid Pride will find out." Mina frowned. "You haven't told him yet?" Kat shook her head. "I couldn't. I don't think I could ever face him if he found out." Mina sighed. "Sweetie, you need to tell him. That's not something you should hide from him. I'm sure he'd understand." Kat's voice shook. "What if he doesn't though? I don't want to lose what we have over something that happened two years ago!" Mina nodded. "Tell him. Your relationship will be better because of it. He'd want to know." Kat nodded. "You're right. I need to tell him." Mina smiled. "Alright, sweetie. I've gotta go. I'll talk to you later, okay?" Kat smiled weakly. "Okay." Mina smiled. "Talk to Pride." She ended the call. Kat sighed. I'd better do this now, before I change my mind. She walked out of her room, walked to Pride's and knocked on the door. "It's open." She entered the room, feeling incredibly nervous. "Pride?" He put down his book and smiled at her. "Hey. What's going on?" She sighed. "Honey, we need to talk."

Cassie sat in the rec lounge, still a little worried about Andros' course of action. What if Astronema tricks us? Maybe we shouldn't…and Andros will want to go down on his own, maybe take his sister with him. But if she's leading us to a trap…one of the other Rangers should go down with him. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear Zhane come in. He sat down next to her. "Something troubling you, Cass?" Cassie looked up, startled, but smiled when she realized it was just Zhane. She shook her head. "No. It's just…what if Astronema is trying to lead us into a trap? Andros is walking right into it." Zhane nodded. "I know. But we don't know it's a trap." He sighed. "We have no choice but to trust her. Besides, I trust Andros' judgment, and if he thinks she can be trusted, than she probably can be." Cassie nodded. "You're right. I just…well, we've been fighting Astronema for almost a year now, and she's never bothered contacting the Megaship to get us into a trap before." Zhane smiled. "Then it probably isn't a trap." Cassie nodded. "I guess we'll have to trust her." Zhane laughed. "I guess you're right."

"Are you sure you've never played pool before?" Ashley joked with Andros. Andros smiled. "Yes, I'm sure. Must be beginners luck." He shot the cue ball, knocking yet another ball into a pocket, which left him with two balls to hit, then the eight ball. Ashley shook her head. She hadn't hit a single ball into the pockets yet. She was losing, and she knew it. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "You're cheating!" she accused. "You're using telekinesis!" Andros smiled sheepishly. "Guilty as charged." Ashley smacked him playfully in the chest. "You said you weren't going to!" Andros shrugged. "What's the fun of having telekinesis if you don't use it?" Ashley shoved him gently. "Restart the game, and this time, don't cheat!" Andros sighed. "Fine. I'm sorry."

Pride was speechless, Kat having just told him about her suicide attempt. She looked away, nearly in tears. "I shouldn't have told you," she whispered miserably. He wrapped his arms around her. "No, I'm glad you did. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Kat shook her head. "Because I was ashamed. I should've realized…" A tear slid slowly down her cheek. Pride tightened his hug, stroking her hair gently. "Ssh, it's okay. I'm here." Kat's body trembled violently as she began to sob. Pride continued to hold her, whispering comforting words into her ear. Kat clutched Pride close to her, afraid to lose him. "I sh-shouldn't have th-thought…I sh-should have kn-known you wo-wouldn't have pi-picked M-May over m-me." She sobbed harder. Pride continued to stroke her hair. "It's okay." His voice shook slightly. "I'm just so glad I didn't lose you. I don't know what I'd do without you." He frowned slightly. "But how did you-?" Kat trembled harder and shook her head. "I don't…I shouldn't have. If it wasn't for Amber…" she broke off. Pride nodded. "Ssh. Don't think about it." Kat looked into his eyes, her own red and puffy. "I'm sorry," she whispered. He shook his head. "There's nothing to be sorry for." Kat buried her face in his chest again. "I love you," she murmured. Pride had to bite his lip to keep himself from crying. "I love you too," he whispered.

Carlos panted heavily, trying to catch his breath. TJ was doing the same in the other corner. They were sparring each other, and not lightly. TJ wanted to be prepared, in case Astronema was leading them into a trap. Carlos didn't think she was-why would she have bothered contacting them? She'd've just sent monster to lure them-but TJ wasn't taking any chances. Carlos held up his hand. "Teej, no more. I need a break." TJ nodded. "Okay. Sure." Carlos went out to get some water, and overheard Alpha 5 hovering around, muttering about something. He frowned and grabbed Alpha's shoulder. "Alpha, what's up?" Alpha looked at Carlos. "DECA has just informed me that we're out of fuel. We can't make it to KO-35. We have to land on the nearest planet and refuel." Carlos smiled. "And that's a bad because…?" DECA beeped at him. "The nearest planet is Miranoi." Carlos frowned. "And now it's a problem. Um…let me guess…go tell Andros?" He rolled his eyes. "I'm going."

Andros looked up as Carlos entered the Simudeck. "What's going on?" "Fuel crisis," Carlos replied. "We have to land on the nearest planet." Andros nodded. "Okay, so, what's the problem?" Carlos sighed. "The nearest planet? It's Miranoi." "FRELL!" Andros yelled. Carlos frowned, and Andros looked sheepish. "Kerovian cuss word," he explained. "About the equivalent of…" He blushed deeply, and Ashley and Carlos nodded. "We get it," Ashley said. As they headed down the hallway towards the bridge, they heard soft sobbing coming from Pride's room. Andros and Ashley both frowned, then Ashley paled. "Oh no!" she muttered softly. Andros looked at her. "What's going on?" Ashley shook her head. "Um…why don't you guys finish up with the fuel crisis? I'll see what's going on in here." Andros frowned. "Um…okay."

Ashley knocked tentatively on Pride's door, and the soft sobs coming from inside stopped immediately. She heard footsteps moving towards the door, and then it was flung open by Pride. His eyes were red, and Ashley could see Kat sound asleep on his bed. She gave Pride a concerned smile. "Is everything alright?" Pride nodded. "Yeah. Everything's fine." Ashley glanced past him at Kat, and then noticed that he was holding her bracelets in his hand. She smiled compassionately. "She told you, didn't she?" Pride nodded. "Did she tell you?" Ashley bit her lip. "Earlier. I think I kind of forced it out of her. I didn't mean to." Pride nodded, then lost his balance as the ship jerked. "What the-?" "Red Alert," came DECA's voice. "We are losing power. Switching ship to auxiliary power now." Pride frowned. "What's going on?" Ashley shook her head. "We're losing power and fuel, fast. We're somewhere in the vicinity of…" She thought a moment. "Miranoi, I think. Or possibly Betelgeuse. I don't know. Either way…" Pride nodded. "Out of fuel and no way to get more. Figures." Ashley nodded. "Yeah, actually, it does." She looked at him. "Are you going to be alright?" Pride smiled slightly. "I'll be fine. I'm just…so glad I didn't lose her. I don't think I could handle that." Ashley nodded. "I understand. It'd be hard for everyone who knows her. Suicide affects more people than we like to think." She broke off as Kat shifted slightly, but didn't wake. She smiled, offering a hug to Pride. He stepped back at first, then, tentatively, accepted. Ashley laughed slightly, causing Pride to smile. "Sorry. I'm not much of a people person. Never have been." Ashley nodded. "I get it. At least you're enough of a people person for Kat." Pride nodded. "Very true." He glanced back at Kat. "You'd better go. I…um…I don't want to wake her. It took me awhile to get her to calm down enough to sleep." Ashley smiled. "Alright. I'm gonna see if we've got that fuel crisis under control. Andros may need my help." She giggled. "He was actually cussing earlier." Pride laughed. "Yeah. You'd better get to him."

Andros glanced up as Zhane entered the bridge. "Andros, I heard DECA say we were on red alert. What's going on?" Andros swore under his breath. "We're out of fuel, and the nearest planet is Miranoi." "Oh…" Zhane was speechless. "Well…what do we do?" Andros shook his head. "I don't know." He glanced down at the monitor he was working at as Ashley entered the room. "What was all that about?" Andros asked. Ashley shrugged. "Don't worry about it. It's all under control. Pride was just a little homesick." "Homesick?" Andros asked. "We haven't even been gone a day yet." Ashley nodded. "Yeah, but you gotta realize. The guy hasn't been off the planet…well…ever. He's bound to be a little uncomfortable out here for awhile." Zhane nodded. "She's right, Andy." Ashley flinched at Zhane's use of a pet name for Andros, but Zhane, seemingly oblivious, continued. "You weren't exactly Mr. Space Traveler yourself when you first came out here. I'm surprised Kat was so happy out here so soon." Andros nodded. "Speaking of Kat, anyone seen her lately?" Ashley nodded. "She's resting. She wanted to be fully awake for when we reach KO-35. Pride was sitting with her." Andros nodded. "Right. So…we still have this fuel crisis. What do we do?" Zhane shrugged. "Land on the nearest planet?" Andros stared at Zhane. "I just said…" "I know," Zhane replied. "But do we have a choice? Land on the nearest planet. We'll figure out what to do from there. If Astronema is really serious about meeting us on KO-35, she'll send help. Or if she's really your sister. She'll help us."

At that moment, Hedia and Karone landed on KO-35. "Which of us…?" Hedia began, but Karone interrupted. "I'll go. They're only expecting one of us." She teleported down to the planet, but returned a few minutes later. "Call them again. They're not here." Ecliptor nodded, starting the transmission. "Power Rangers," Karone began. "We had an agreement. You were to meet me on KO-35. I've arrived, yet you haven't. Why is this?" The communication was picked up by an African-American teenager, the blue ranger, aka TJ. "Astronema, this is the Blue Ranger. We never had an agreement. That was all Andros. And we will not make it…" he was shoved out of the way by Andros. "Astronema, we have a fuel crisis. We have just landed on Miranoi. We will not be able to make KO-35 without assistance." Karone nodded. "Very well, I'll send Cl-Ecliptor with fuel." Andros nodded. "Thank you. Oh, by the way, Karone?" Karone started. "I..what?" Andros smiled softly. "Tell Hedia I said hello." Karone nodded. "Alright."

A few minutes later, Ecliptor showed up to avert the fuel crisis, and they were back on course to KO-35. Andros finally became worried enough to check on his sister himself. He knocked on Pride's door. There was no answer. He thought for a moment. "DECA, they're not in Kat's room, are they?" "No Andros. They aren't." Andros frowned, then knocked again. "Pride? Kat? Is everything okay?" No answer. Finally, Andros overrode the locking mechanism, opening the door quietly. Both Pride and Kat were sound asleep on Pride's bed. Andros sighed, then walked to Kat's side and tapped her gently. "Sweetie? It's time to wake up. We're almost to KO-35." Kat sighed, but didn't stir. Andros shook her shoulder slightly. "Kat? Katarina? Honey, we're going to go see Karone. Are you coming?" Kat shifted in her sleep, and Andros rubbed her back. "Kat? Please wake up?" Kat finally opened her silver eyes, the ones Andros found so unique. Andros smiled. "Hi, sweetie. Glad to see those eyes of yours again." Kat smiled sleepily. "Hi Andros." Andros placed an arm on her shoulder. "You know what? I think I missed those eyes of yours most of all." Kat smacked him playfully, then shushed him. "Ssh. Pride's sleeping." Andros nodded. "Right, well, we're almost at KO-35. Are you coming down with me?" Kat nodded. "Yeah. Just let me let Pride know." Andros nodded. "Of course." He left to give the couple some privacy. Kat placed her hand on Pride's back. "Rise and shine, honey. It's time to wake up." Pride opened his eyes and found himself staring into those silver orbs. He smiled softly. "Hey, you're not crying." He pulled her in closer and kissed her. "I like that." Kat laughed. "Trying to turn me on?" Pride grinned. "I have to try now?" Kat laid her head on his shoulder. "I was supposed to tell you something, but I forgot." Pride hugged her. "Does it have anything to do with Karone?" Kat nodded. "Right! Thank you! Andy wants me to go down with him to meet her." Pride nodded. "I figured. She's your sister. Go."

A few moments later, Andros and Kat were on their way down to KO-35. Andros was advising her on the proper way to meet an enemy. Kat frowned. "But she's not our enemy, she's our sister." Andros nodded. "All the same, it's better to be safe than sorry." Kat nodded. "Right. Of course." She stared down at the planet beneath her. "So, this is KO-35?" Andros nodded. "Yes. This is what is left of our home planet. There's a small resistance group on the north of the planet, but other than that, there's no one." "And our parents?" Kat asked tentatively. Andros sighed. "Dead. Killed in an attack. Killed by…" he broke off. "Don't worry about it. They'd be so proud of you." Kat smiled. "I guess, in a way, I can thank whoever kidnapped me." Andros frowned. "Why?" "Because," Kat replied patiently. "If they hadn't, I might have known my family, but I'd never have met Pride. I'd never be truly happy." Andros cocked his head, and Kat continued. "When I met Pride, it was like a part of me had been brought to life. It was like my heart had been lying dead for ten years, and Pride brought it back to life. We're meant to be, and if I'd never met him, I wouldn't be whole. I wouldn't be me." Andros nodded. "I understand. I feel the same way with Zhane." Kat nodded. "Andy, Pride is the one. I'm going to marry him someday." Andros frowned. "Are you sure? There are other fish in the sea…" Kat nodded. "Yes, Andy, I'm sure. He's the one." Andros nodded. "We aren't going to discuss this now." He pointed, and Kat saw Astronema for the first time. "That's Karry?" Andros nodded. "Might be Hedia. I can't tell." He raised a white-gloved hand in a peaceful greeting. Astronema nodded curtly. "I said come alone." Andros nodded. "This is our other sister. This is Rubye-Kat, sorry!" he added hastily at a glance from Kat. Karone nodded again, a small smile playing around her lips. Ecliptor pushed her forward gently, and she embraced her sister. Kat smiled. "Hi, sis." Karone laughed. "Which one am I?" "Karone," Kat replied. "Who else?" Karone smiled. "Yep. She's our Rubye, alright." Kat laughed. "I could have told you that!" Karone's smile faded. "Anyway, on to business. Andros, I know where Zordon is. I can take you to him. Problem is, to get past the security, I need to make it look like I've captured you. Are you willing to do that?" Andros frowned. "I don't know. Kat, what do you think?" Kat shrugged. "If it'll help us find Zordon…I mean, I know Tommy was always going on about…but that's not important. I say we do it." Andros pulled his sister aside. "Kat, if this is a trap, we're walking right into it." Kat nodded. "Yes, but it's not. Look, I remembered something while I was asleep. You never spent time with Hedia or Karone. You didn't want to play with them. You never listened to them. You always played with Zhane, and you would occasionally let me join. You normally told us we were too little. You didn't care about them." Andros frowned. "What? I cared…" Kat held up a hand. "No, you didn't. Whenever you let us play, it was because Zhane told you to, or Zhane couldn't play. But I cared. I spent time with our baby sisters. I got to know them, and I know that no matter how evil Karone may have been raised, she would never be able to lead her own family into a trap. Not mention Hedia wouldn't let her." Andros sighed, turning back to Karone. "Alright. We'll do it."

"You told her WHAT!" TJ yelled furiously. "Why the hell would you say something like that? Are you crazy?" "No!" Kat came to her brother's defense. "Because we can trust her. She's my baby sister. I know her, and she's not evil." "Besides," Pride added, "it never hurts to give someone the benefit of the doubt." Kay rolled her eyes. "Honey, I love you to death, but shut up." Pride nodded silently. TJ glared at him. "Besides, Nature Boy, this doesn't concern you! This is Ranger business!" Kat slapped him. "Don't you ever talk to him like that again!" "GUYS!" Zhane bellowed. "Knock it off! You see what we're doing? We're fighting amongst ourselves, and that is NOT helping matters. Now, Kat, go stand over there with your brother, and Teej, apologize to Pride." TJ mumbled "sorry," to Pride, who nodded. Kat moved towards her brother. "I still say we should trust her…" Andros nodded. "Yes. Which is why…" He motioned towards the door, and both Hedia and Karone stepped forward. TJ's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "You…what is that witch doing on this ship?" "Karone stepped forward. "I won't hurt you. I know where Zordon is. Please accept my help, and sincerest apologies for any and all harm I've caused you." She offered her hand. TJ hesitated, then accepted. Andros smiled. "Now, let's go find Zordon!"