Short Author's Note: Thanks for reviewing, JasonLeeScottFan. There will be more twists.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything.
I'm sorry for any mistakes.
CHAPTER 7: Secret Of The Locket
MEGASHIP
Andros was in his room sleeping, tossing and turning as that all too familiar scene replayed itself in his dreams.
(Andros's Dream)
Karone heard the bushes rustling and stood up, turning around. She screamed as an ugly monster jumped out at her and ran toward her, laughing. The monster picked her up and she started crying.
(End Dream)
Andros jerked awake and shot upright, shouting, "Karone!" He looked around his dark room and sighed heavily. He had been dreaming again.
He looked over at his nightstand. Standing up, he went over and picked up the picture of his sister. I will find you, Karone. I promise. I'll find you.
* * * *
DARK FORTRESS
Astronema was sitting in her chair, looking at the pictures in her locket. She payed particular attention to the photo of her brother. Was the feeling she had correct? Was her brother still alive?
Ecliptor and Demion came entered. Demion was wearing his armor, his sword sheathed at his hip. "My Princess," her adoptive father said to her. "The Batarax is ready to attack."
Astronema didn't turn around to face them. She barely heard what Ecliptor had said. If her brother was alive, she should be trying to find him. Right? But would Dark Specter allow that?
Noticing her mood, Demion stepped forward. "Astronema," he said. She turned toward him slightly, trying to focus. "Is something troubling you?" He sounded genuinely concerned.
Astronema closed her locket. "Tell me again, Ecliptor," she finally spoke. "Where did you find me?" Her tone was cold. After all they had both done for her, she decided to soften it.
Ecliptor glanced at Demion, as if he didn't want to speak of this in front of him. But eventually he said, "You were only a little girl. You were left on my doorstep. I have taken care of you as my own daughter ever since."
Interested, Demion turned to Ecliptor. "What about her family?"
Astronema turned around to face them. Ecliptor looked over at her. She nodded, telling him to answer Demion. Ecliptor sighed and turned to Demion. "They were destroyed. By the Power Rangers."
Demion got a knowing look on his face, as he just realized why she was so determined to destroy the Power Rangers.
"Ecliptor. Demion," Astronema said to them seriously. They both looked at her. "You are both the only ones I've ever trusted." She stood up and walked away from them a little.
"Yes, Princess," Ecliptor replied.
Demion nodded. "You are the only one I've ever trusted, Astronema."
Astronema looked to make sure no one was eavesdropping or coming. Then she said, "And something tells me--" She turned around to face them. "--my brother is alive."
Demion's eyebrows shot up. "At least your sibling isn't a Power Ranger," he commented seriously.
Ecliptor swatted him on the arm, hard. Demion glared at him. Ignoring him, Ecliptor said, "Astronema, you are the Princess of Evil. You mustn't be distracted."
Astronema sat back down in her chair, thinking. As an image of the Power Rangers came to her, she became furious. "You're right." She turned the chair away from them, glaring.
"Let's attack Earth!"
* * * *
ANGEL GROVE
Demion, Astronema, and Ecliptor arrived at the battle scene to watch. The Batarax was fighting all five of the Power Rangers. As Demion saw the Yellow Ranger, he glared. After learning about how she'd hurt Astronema, he hated her.
He turned to look at the darklings behind him. "Tip the odds in our favor," he told them coldly. "Attack!" Astronema sent her quantrons as well.
Demion smiled cruelly as the darklings and quantrons not only attacked the Rangers, but civilians as well. Everything was going smoothly until he heard Astronema fire on someone.
He turned to her. She looked confused. He turned to see what she'd fired at, then he became confused. She had fired on one of her own quantrons as it was about to attack the Red Ranger and a family of three. Why had she....?
The Red Ranger turned to see who had helped, and saw Astronema with her staff. "You?! Astronema?! Why?!"
Ecliptor looked Astronema up and down, then turned back to the Red Ranger. "My Princess!"
Astronema didn't respond to the Red Ranger or Ecliptor. When the Ranger turned to help the family again, Astronema turned to leave.
Demion glanced at the Red Ranger, then looked back at Astronema. "Astronema! Wait!" She didn't seem to even hear him and kept walking. Why did she help them? Demion looked over at Ecliptor. "I'm returning to the ship."
He disappeared without waiting for a response.
* * * *
LATER ON
Astronema glared at the Red Ranger as he ran back to the scene. "Hey guys! I'm back!" he called to the other Rangers. So am I. She raised her staff and blasted him in the shoulder.
The Red Ranger fell to the ground hard. He stood back up shakily and turned to see who had attacked him, holding his shoulder. "Astronema!" he screamed at her.
Astronema's expression was emotionless. "Maybe I'll take a Ranger out myself," she said stoically.
The Red Ranger scoffed and held up his Spiral Saber. "You can try."
Astronema glared at him as she walked down the steps slowly. They fought and they were evenly matched, making her even more angry. But not as angry as she got when he tore the locket from her neck.
"NO!" she screamed out, reaching her hand up to her neck. She looked back and saw the Red Ranger staring after her locket.
"What was that?" he said, confused.
Astronema pushed him out of the way and moved to go get her locket. The other four Rangers blocked her path and she stopped short. She had to get her locket back.
"Give it up, Astronema!" the Red Ranger yelled at her.
"Yeah, even your own troops are running scared," the Yellow Ranger told her.
Astronema looked and saw the Yellow Ranger was right. She glanced at all the Rangers angrily. Then she held up her staff. "Fire the Satellazers!" she screamed out.
* * * *
DARK FORTRESS
Demion, who had been watching, hit the button for the Satellazers immediately and fired it on the Batarax.
* * * *
ANGEL GROVE
Astronema smiled cruelly as the Satellazer struck the Batarax and it grew.
Andros glared at her. How could anyone be so evil? "Let's finish this, Astronema!"
She turned around to face him with hatred burning in her eyes. He ran at her with his Spiral Saber, but she disappeared in a purple flash of light just as he reached her.
She had escaped.
* * * *
LATER ON
Astronema reappeared at the battle scene, alone, with hatred burning through her veins. She saw the Red Ranger without his Power Ranger suit on, holding her locket with a shocked expression. The other Rangers weren't around.
Losing it, Astronema shouted out, "Don't touch that!"
The Red Ranger spun toward her, startled. He held up the locket and opened it, ignoring her shout. His expression got even more shocked. He looked back in forth between the locket and her. What was he thinking? Was he remembering destroying her family?
"Where did you get this?!" he finally asked her.
Astronema reached him and snatched the locket out of his hand, yelling at him angrily, "I've always had it!" She held the opened locket in her hand and stared at the pictures a moment. Then she closed it.
The Red Ranger was whispering something behind her and she turned around to see him looking at her sadly. She focused on what he was fingering. It was a locket. It looked just like hers, and he wore it around his neck. No.
"I've always had mine too," he informed her. When he opened the locket she froze. They were the same pictures she knew well. He closed his locket. "I can't believe this."
She looked from the locket up to his face. For the first time it hit her just how similar he looked to the boy in the picture. How similar he looked to her brother. But she still wasn't ready to accept that he was her brother.
She backed away from him as he came toward her. "What are you talking about?"
He looked at her with a mixture of disbelief and... happiness. "You are Karone. My sister."
Astronema looked away from him. "Karone?"
The name made her head hurt, and when she tried to remember her past, the pain got worse. It was as if something was literally blocking her memories. But Ecliptor wouldn't have lied to her. He would've....
As the Red Ranger reached out for her, she swatted his hands away, arguing, "No! You killed my parents, and my brother!" He had to be trying to trick her. He had to be.
"No!" He lunged toward her and grabbed her arms. "You need to listen to me!" He shook her slightly, but not painfully. In fact, he held her like he was afraid he'd hurt her. "I am your brother."
Astronema moved out of his grasp and turned away. Her thoughts were jumbled, confusing her. One voice was telling her to believe him, while another voice was telling her that all this was a lie. She held up her locket slowly. She made her decision about which voice to listen to and turned back to him angrily.
"Nice try, Red Ranger," she said to him coldly. "But your tricks won't work on me!"
His face became full of grief, and he looked like he didn't know what to say. She returned to the Dark Fortress.
* * * *
Andros ran forward as Karone disappeared, shouting out, "Wait!"
But she was gone. He'd lost his sister again.
* * * *
DARK FORTRESS
"The Red Ranger my brother?!" Astronema was fuming. "What a fool he takes me for!"
The quantrons and the darklings had been sent away, along with Elgar. Demion and Ecliptor watched Astronema a little fearfully. Demion didn't know how to respond.
"Obviously a cruel trick," Ecliptor said to her.
Demion looked at Ecliptor suspiciously. He thought back to his earlier comment, and the outcome.
"At least your sibling isn't a Power Ranger," he had said. Ecliptor had then hit him on the arm, hard.
Demion frowned. Ecliptor was hiding something.
Astronema turned to Ecliptor angrily. "And he'll pay dearly for it I promise you," she snapped at him. "I'll see to that." She pushed Ecliptor out of the way as he tried to agree with her, then stormed off.
Demion gave Ecliptor a hard look and then left himself. He was going to figure this out. He was not going to lose the only woman he'd ever loved.
He didn't care what he had to do to keep her with him.
A/N: I'll Update As Soon As Possible. Please review!
