"No!" Nina, now once again decked out in her blue hair and black leather outfit, spat angrily. In front of her was a screen showing the silver, purple, and red ranger on their megaship. "Mind Shifter!"
With a snap of her finger, a tall monster with a brown body and bright yellow eyes appeared on the bridge of the Dark Fortress.
"Why are they getting their memory back?" Nina asked, leaning towards the monster with her hand on her staff.
"I have no control over how or when they get it back." Mind Shifter replied in a deep voice. Nina realized he reminded her of a cat that could talk.
"Then redo the spell. It was bad enough when the yellow ranger remembered at the battle. I can't have that sister messing things up more!"
"It may not work…" Mind Shifter started, but Nina held up her staff and sent a jolt of electricity at the monster. With a shriek, the monster jumped away from Nina. "Okay, okay! But I will warn you, their memory may cut off at a different point in their life now."
"Just do it!"
Mind Shifter closed his eyes and held out both of his shaggy hands with long nails at the tip. Slowly, a ball of white clouds formed in his claws. Holding his hands up, the monster blew on the ball of energy and it flew through the screen and connected with the real Karone.
"Don't do the silver ranger yet, I want to see what happens," Nina smiled and watched as her plan unfolded once more.
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"What?" Andros exclaimed, still trying to wrap his head around his sister's announcement. Sure, he knew she and Zhane had been together. But for her to already be pregnant…
"What?" Karone repeated, looking between Zhane and Andros, very confused.
"You're pregnant?" Zhane asked.
"I am?" Karone questioned. She got to her feet, now realizing that she had been sitting in Zhane's lap the whole time.
"What is going on, Karone!?" Andros wondered, trying not to let his voice rise.
"I don't know! You tell me! One minute I'm sitting on a throne in the Dark Fortress, then next thing…"
"Hold up!" Zhane cut in. "The Dark Fortress? Isn't that where Ecliptor was working from when we were rangers?" Zhane pointed this question at Andros.
"Why were you on the Dark Fortress?" Andros asked, completely ignoring Zhane.
"I was…Astronema! Oh, God!" Karone began to pace back and forth between the two boys, a hand on her forehead and the other on her stomach. "I hurt you both! They tricked me into thinking I was evil. Oh, God, oh, God, oh God!"
"Karone, breathe!" Andros ordered, setting a hand on his sister's shoulder. Karone shook his hand away and backed herself into the far corner of the bridge.
"Don't touch me! I don't want to hurt you anymore."
"Andros, what's happening?" Zhane asked.
"I don't know!" Andros exclaimed. "Could you just leave, Zhane?"
"But…"
"Zhane!" Andros snapped. He felt the headache throbbing against his temples. He already had to deal with Karone who had re-lost her memory. He couldn't deal with Zhane too.
Zhane got up and shuffled off the bridge with his shoulders slumped. Andros moved towards Karone, but she shrunk back into the shadows.
"I was watching what I did to you, but I had no control over it." Karone was shaking her head furiously, tears falling fast down her face. "I didn't want to hurt you, Andros. But I had no choice! I didn't want to fight you. I wanted to be good." Karone slid against the wall and wrapped her arms around her knees.
"Karone, listen to me." Andros spoke, surprising himself at how firm he sounded. "You aren't Astronema anymore. We saved you from that life." Kneeling down, Andros lifted Karone's head with his finger. "You won't hurt us."
"How can you be so certain?"
"Do you have control over your body right now?" Karone looked down at herself and slowly nodded. "Then you aren't under Ecliptor's control. You can do whatever you want."
Karone let out another sob and wrapped her arms around Andros' neck. Andros hugged his sister tightly. He wasn't sure what he remembered, or if she even knew he was her brother, but that wasn't important. What was important was getting Karone back.
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"Good!" Nina smirked as she observed the rangers on the megaship. "Now the purple ranger is under paranoia. She should be out for the count. Now redo the silver ranger's memory."
Mind Shifter held up his hands again and formed another ball of energy. He was about to let it fly away when the monster stopped.
"My princess. I have been experimenting with my powers, and I have found a new and better way to alter people's memories."
"Try it." Nina said with a shrug. She knew she could trust him, and if it was an even better way, there was no harm in trying. Nina flicked her finger and the screen in front of her changed to Zhane, who had fallen on the floor. "Looks like some more fun is about to begin."
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"Ashley, have you seen Zhane?" Andros asked, leaning into the yellow ranger's open bedroom. Ashley looked up from her seat at her desk and shook her head.
"What happened with Karone, though? I saw her go past with tears in her eyes."
Andros stepped into the room and sat down on the bed. Ashley got up from her desk and sat down next to him.
"Her memory got re-altered. All of a sudden, she remembered what it had been like to be Astronema and thought she was still evil. Just after her and Zhane had started getting their memories back, of course."
"Astronema? Who is she? And what do you mean Karone was evil?" Ashley's face was perplexed as she stared at the red ranger.
Andros sighed and ran a hand through his streaked hair. He had once again forgotten that Ashley didn't remember the pain they had gone through getting Karone back.
"You know what, it's not important." Andros forced a small smile and got to his feet. Ashley grabbed his wrist, though, and pulled him back down. She leaned forward and kissed Andros softly.
"What was that for?" Andros murmured.
"I remember Astronema now. When you found out that she was Karone, and you both had the same locket. It's all slowly coming back to me."
Andros saw the glitter in Ashley's eyes, and knew that something had just clicked in her head. But he didn't know what it was.
"What are you saying?" Andros asked slowly.
"I think we figured out how to get everyone's memories back! Or at least it's a start. If you tell them about something that happen, then share some kind of connection with them, it helps them remember."
"Are you sure it isn't just between us, Ashley?" Andros hated to question her, but he had just seen things go from better to worse. He had to be cautious. "Since we love each other, we share a special bond. We telepathic, remember? We can basically read each other's thoughts. How do you know that's not what it is?"
"Then let's go find out!" Ashley grabbed her boyfriend's hand and pulled him out of the room and around the maze of the megaship.
"Who are we looking for?" Andros wondered.
"Zhane, of course!" Ashley replied with a bubbly voice. She turned the corner, and stopped short. Andros practically bumped into her and, confused, looked over her shoulder.
"Wh-?" Andros cut off his own voice and let his mouth open slightly in shock.
Zhane sat on the floor with colored blocks in front of him. With a giddy smile, Zhane held out his hand and lifted the blocks in the air. As he followed it with his eyes, Zhane saw Andros and Ashley standing in front of him.
"Mama? Dada?" Zhane asked, his voice high-pitched and childish.
"I don't believe it." Ashley gasped as Zhane lost his focus and returned to playing with the blocks.
"What?" Andros asked.
"Zhane's a 19 year old man with a 2 year olds brain."
A/n: So, its another big stretch. But you all said you liked Zhane, and I thought it would be pretty amusing if he acted like a 2 year old. So, reviews are welcome, as always. And I hope you all have a Happy Easter!