Disclaimer:
Don't Judge by the Cover belongs to Ashley Hammond Astro Yellow.
Tal: Look! I got a golden ring for my 17th birthday! ;shows ring off;
Ashley: So? I got a necklace with a rare gem from KO-35 for my 17th birthday ;shows necklace off;
Tal: Damn.
Not mine ;
A/N: Piper xox Leo: I'm glad you enjoyed it, I actually thought it was boring :D
AH/AY: Well, you did read it before anyone, and it was only because I didn't want to make it really long :P I would have let you read this one too, but you went to bed :P
Phantom Rogue: fluff rulez :P well, it was kind of weird, giving Andros a sense of humor
SweetSas: ;sighs; Zhane, huh? Well, you have a lot to look forward too.
Star Fata: thanks a bunch:D
Mita427: thanks I'm glad you liked it!
the-power-of-love: fast enough:P
Oh, and… this one is dedicated to Ashley Hammond Astro Yellow for helping me out with chapter 8 AND letting me borrow lines from Don't Judge by the Cover (go read it!)
What's Left of Me
By DarkHonda aka Tal
PRiS AU
Chapter 9: Scattered
It has been three hours since he left Ashley in the doorstep of her room, yet he couldn't sleep. His head rested on the pillow, his eyes focused on the ceiling and his thoughts… scattered in his head.
His thoughts so scattered that he couldn't hold on to one thought long enough, his mind wandered from Ashley to the book and to the secret he kept.
'Everything is just confusing,' he tried to reassure himself, 'and I'm only confused because I've- I've never felt this way.' He tried to persuade himself. 'It has been a while since…since love flooded me like this, I'm not used to this feeling,' he pondered, 'and it has nothing to do with that book.' He decided.
Indeed, it has been a long time since he felt that warm feeling in his chest, it has been a long time since the last time he remembered himself breathing heavily, it has been a long time since the last time he thought of her.
'Not true,' he contradicted himself, 'you think about her every morning when you wake up and every night before you fall asleep. You never let yourself forget about her and you will never let it happen. You vowed to bring her back!' a little voice in his head reminded him.
'So why do I feel so guilty being with Ashley? We've been together for a whole day and… I feel like I'm forgetting my one truth. I have to find her but Ashley.. Ashley makes me forget.' He told the little voice.
'Of course she will make you forget, you cold hearted moron! That what love does, it comforts you, it makes you forget but only for a little while. It makes you stronger; it readies you for whatever may come,' the little voice exclaimed, Andros looked relieved now. 'I don't do anything wrong,' he told himself, 'Karone and love are two different things.' And with that, he relaxed and fell asleep immediately.
His room was grey, almost like his usual mood, on the bed there was a red blanket and a dark blue mattress and pillow. Next to the bed there was a small cupboard, on it were two framed photos, the red frame contained a photo of a little boy who wore red clothes and looked no more than 7, he held a ball and smiled to the camera. The purple frame contained a photo of a little girl who wore a purple dress and smiled to the camera, one of her teeth was missing.
Next to the small cupboard there was a writing desk and three over loaded bookshelves, the bookshelves contained a variety of books starting with Physics and Astronomy to weird looking books that were probably written by writers all over the galaxy. On the desk there was a framed photo of Zhane and Andros as teenagers, no more than 14, each holding a sword and both smiling, Zhane's hand on Andros' shoulder.
The peace and quiet in the room were suddenly disturbed by a quick movement on Andros' bed, his peaceful sleep was no longer peaceful…
Andros' dream "Andros, would you please read it to me?" she asked and then pouted, "Pleaaaaaaaaaaaseeeeeeee?" she smiled and he smiled.
He was sitting on a big bed, his legs weren't reaching the floor and he held a book in his hands. In front of him was another big bed and a little blond girl with sparkling blue eyes was lying under the covers, her head resting on a pillow. She smiled at him, two of her teeth were missing and her hand clutched a big teddy bear that he had the strong feeling his name was Scrudly.
"Sure, but be quiet, okay, Karone?" he whispered, smiling at her, "Mum and Dad think we're asleep."
"Fine," she whispered back and he gently jumped to the floor with the book in his hands and gone up to her bed. He sat next to her lying form and gazed at the cover of the book, it had a karovan prince there, with hair exactly like his, brown with blond stripes, he was wearing a necklace with a red gem and was handing a red rose to a yellow ranger, she held a hand to reach the rose. Behind her there were others; rangers, royal family and the commons. After a little while he started telling the story quietly.
"The monster has been terrorizing the castle for years now, but nothing seems to help in keeping him away. That's why…" he read in his childish voice, his sister dozing off slowly…
End dream
Andros got up immediately, covered in cold sweat; it was the first time, the first time ever that he dreamt such a dream. About her. His sister. Karone.
He sat there, on his bed, feet on the floor and head between his hands. 'Was it a dream?' he wondered, 'was it just a random dream, or was it-was it a memory?' he didn't know, yet, he had a hunch deep inside that it wasn't a dream.
His heart told him it was real, that it happened once, a long time ago… He reluctantly rose up from the bed and walked to his book shelf, as if expecting to find the book there. His eyes glanced at the books, almost afraid to find it there, scared of the feeling that would flow through him if he found the book there.
'Calm down,' he ordered himself, 'wash your face, relax and search again,' he told himself and his legs carried him to his bathroom. He washed his face, looking at himself in the mirror; his hair was a mess, his eyes red, almost like he was crying and his skin pale. He breathed slowly, trying to calm himself and then he stepped to his room again, facing the bookshelves.
After merely a second, his eyes found the book, the title: "Don't Judge by the Cover" emblazoned on the cover with golden letters. He reached for it, his hands caressing the cover gently. He dared opening the book slowly, reading the first line of the book.
"The monster has been terrorizing the castle for years now, but nothing seems to help in keeping him away…" he read it aloud, his heart pounding in his chest, he continued reading the book and as he was reading the memories rose in his mind.
It was his favorite book, he remembered now; it was about a faraway kingdom and a prince in disguise, fights, suspense and even magic! He remembered how his twin sister, younger than him in only two and a half minutes, adored the book and constantly asked him to read it to her, although they were twins and although she could read it herself.
He smiled at the memory of her under the covers asking him to read it to her, he remembered that he never denied that request, it was their little tradition.
"Oh, Karone," he sighed aloud, "Will I find you one day? Will I read you this book again? I miss you…" he whispered.
His sister, his beloved, long lost sister was the only one who ever knew him. She knew how to read his moods and what was on his mind. Always.
She was by his side and was not only his favorite playmate but also his most trusted friend; He remembered how he used to tell her that one day, he would be a red ranger (she would be the purple ranger if she wanted to) and would travel the galaxy fighting evil monsters until…until he would fall in love with a yellow ranger, just like in their favorite story!
The yellow ranger would have to save him, just like the yellow ranger in the story saved the prince, and they would live happily ever after in a palace in KO-35.
He laughed again as he remembered that his sister always said that she would have a knight that would love her and marry her, the knight would have to be brave and funny, that he would always make her laugh and it was important to her that he would have blue eyes…
'Why did it have to happen to her?' he asked himself, 'was I a bad brother?' he wondered, 'Why my sister? My twin sister… My most trusted friend and playmate! Was it a punishment for my crimes?'
'What crimes?' the little voice in his mind asked him, 'what a terrible crime can a 7 years old boy can commit that he'd deserve a punishment like this?'
'I don't know!' Andros thought, tears filling his eyes, 'It had to be something I've done! She was an angel, she never harmed anyone…' a tear was making her way from his eye to his cheeks. He tried to remember the day were she was kidnapped, slowly it came back to him.
Over the years he tried to suppress this memory, he couldn't bear it. It was his fault, he was responsible. 'We were playing at the park, in the new telekinetic ball Dad gave us, she threw it stronger than I expected and… I ran to get it and by the time I got back, the only thing I've heard was her yells for help.'
"If I had only kept her safe enough," he muttered to himself, "If I had only left that ball for another minute…" he closed his eyes in pain and slowly got dressed.
He won't be able to sleep tonight, not after that book, that dream and these memories that were starting to over-flow him now.
It was a silent night as he was walking his way to the bridge, searching…again.
A/N: well, what do you think? I thought it was boring but it is kind of necessary. It was supposed to be longer but I don't feel like doing a battle scene right now. Next chapter a whole lot interesting and…. Fluffy, I guess. One thing is sure- Andros is shirtless! ;snickers; Stay tuned and review!