Not As It Seems
Disclaimer: I do not own the power rangers. I don't think I own the name Solaris either. I'm pretty sure I heard it somewhere else.
Summary: AU. Karone and Zhane, along with four new astro rangers search for Karone's lost brother. Meanwhile, Ashley's new boyfriend seems perfect, but he's hiding something that could destroy her, the rangers, and himself.
To the people who commented: Thank you so much for sticking with me!
Chapter 21
Dark Fortress
"I like her." She looked at the image of the woman on the screen.
Darkliptor grinned. "Empress Raven, she ruled in the Turan Galaxy, conquering planet after planet and crushing anything in her path."
She smiled. "That's a lot to live up to." She turned to Darkliptor. "Do you think I could live up to her name?"
"Of course my Queen." He bowed.
"Raven. I like the sound of it." She turned away and retreated to her quarters.
There was a glint in Darkliptor's eyes that she missed. "I love the sound of it."
Megaship – Food Hall
"I still can't believe that was Ashley back there." Cassie sat next to TJ at the table.
Zhane shook his head. "I have never felt that much anger from one person. It was kinda scary."
"Whatever is fueling Ashley's anger has been buried for a long time." Karone added. "And it's coming out with a vengeance."
"I wish Carlos would stop being so damn stubborn." TJ pushed his food away in disgust. He didn't know why he'd gotten it in the first place. His mind was on anything but food.
"He wants to be the one to save her." Cassie said sarcastically.
"Unfortunately, he's hindering our efforts. And…What the hell is that?" Karone frowned listening.
"What are you talking about?" TJ asked.
"I hear it too." Zhane rubbed his ears. "Is someone screaming?"
"I don't hear any screaming." Cassie stood.
"That's because it's internal." Karone gave Zhane a knowing look.
"Carlos." Zhane stated and followed Karone out of the food hall.
"Wait what's wrong with Carlos?" TJ asked as he and Cassie hurried after the two Karovans.
"If I'm right," Karone started. "Andros is getting answers."
"And that's bad because?" Cassie ran alongside TJ. "Oh my god."
They stopped outside of Carlos's room and froze. The crimson glow from Andros's eyes illuminated Carlos's face. Carlos's eyes were open and his expression was blank, but on the inside his mind was in turmoil.
"What's he doing to Carlos?" Cassie yelled
"Finding answers." Karone replied and approached her brother. "Andros." She placed a hand on his shoulder. Andros.
I'm almost done.
You're scaring TJ and Cassie.
Andros closed his eyes and moved away from Carlos and watched him slump to the ground. "He'll be fine in a couple hours…physically anyway."
"What did you do?" TJ asked, stooped beside his friend.
"He wouldn't tell me what happened to Ashley, so I found out for myself."
"By probing his brain?" Cassie asked in outrage. "That's not okay Andros."
"I did what I had to do." With that he turned and walked away. "You may want to cover your ears." He called back to them.
"What the hell-" Cassie was cut off by the blood curdling screams of one of her best friends.
Carlos screamed until his lungs burned, then screamed some more. When the screams finally subsided, Carlos looked at his friends with and with a trembling voice said, "I told you not to trust him."
"Let's just get him to the med bay." Zhane suggested.
"No," TJ stopped the two Karovans. "Cassie and I will take care of Carlos. We'll catch up later."
Karone and Zhane watched the other three leave. "What was he thinking?" Karone asked in frustration.
"That he wants his girlfriend back." Zhane sighed and leaned against the wall.
"I know, but we all want Ashley back and being divided doesn't help the situation and Andros knows that."
"You have to see this from his perspective Karone. You and I have a connection, and when you cut me off or you're mad at me, it hurts. Andros is one of the most powerful beings we know. And no offense, but the connection he has with Ashley could blow us out of the water. I can't imagine what he's feeling right now not being able to get to her."
Karone smiled. "Isn't this a turn of events." She hugged Zhane. "You're defending my brother and I'm the one who needs to be reasoned with."
"It happens." He kissed her forehead. "You can't be the smart one all the time."
"Rangers, there is an incoming call from the Dark Fortress." DECA's voice filled the air.
"What now?" Karone grumbled.
Bridge
"Carlos, you should go back to the med bay." Cassie tried to reason with Carlos.
"I want to see Ashley." He argued.
"We don't know that it's Ashley and not Darkliptor." TJ responded.
"The faster you all move the quicker we can find out." Andros called without looking behind him. Karone and Zhane stood by his side.
"Answer the damn transmission." Carlos snapped.
"Hello rangers." Ashley appeared on screen with Darkliptor to her right. "Did you guys have fun playing Firefighters?"
"I've dealt with worse." Andros's face remained expressionless. "How's your face?"
She grazed her hand across the place where he struck her. "You certainly leave an impression. Luckily I heal quickly."
"I'm waiting for you to get to the point." It was quick, barely visible, but he saw her reaction to his tone and went with it. "We don't have all day, Ashley."
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Carlos shouted. "We're trying to get her back not alienate her!" He looked at the image of Ashley. "Forget him, Ash. We're your friends." Everyone knew that 'we' didn't include three particular people. "Remember that."
She blankly stared at Carlos before turning her attention back to Andros. "I think I'll kill him first."
"You'd be doing me a favor." Andros replied.
Carlos's jaw dropped. "Ashley you can't-"
"Oh my god would you shut up!" She snapped. "And stop calling me that, it only pisses me off."
"Then what should we call you?" Andros deadpanned. "Personally I can think of a few more colorful terms." There it was again; that falter in her demeanor when she didn't like the way he was talking to her. It gave him an idea.
"Darkliptor," she started, "I believe introductions are due."
"Gladly." The monster grinned. "Allow me to introduce Raven the Queen of all evil."
Andros recognized the name immediately and he didn't like it one bit. "I guess Darkliptor helped you pick that out."
"He presented a list. I picked the name." She looked at the creature. "Hopefully I can live up to her legacy."
"I'll be sure to help you." Darkliptor assured.
She turned her attention back to the rangers. "So no more of this Ashley business and no more trying to persuade me to join you."
"We won't give up on you Ash." Cassie pleaded. "We can't."
"You don't really have a choice." She glared.
"I'll agree." Andros stated.
"Andros what are you doing? You can't be serious." Karone had been quiet the entire time because she trusted her brother, but she wasn't sure what to make of this.
Andros glanced at his sister. "Under one condition."
She studied him. "I'm listening."
"I want to meet on Earth. Just you and me. No powers. No weapons."
"No mind games." She added.
"No mind games. Once I've said what I need to say and if you decide to stay your course, I won't try to convince you to come back, but I will fight you to the end. We'll meet in 20. Agreed?"
She took a deep breath. "Agreed." She ended the transmission.
"No, absolutely not." Karone protested before anyone else could speak.
"I have to agree with Karone on this one." TJ added. "Ashley, or Raven, can't really be trusted."
"Someone else should go." Carlos added. "It should be me, Cassie, or TJ."
"Carlos, were you not paying attention to any of this?" Cassie scolded. "I'm pretty sure she would kill you on the spot."
"Besides," TJ added. "The agreement was for Andros alone."
"And unarmed." Karone reiterated. "Zhane, please back us up on this."
"He can't." Andros answered for his still silent friend.
"And why is that?" Karone demanded.
"Because if it were you I would do the same thing." Zhane finally spoke. "I'm a lot of things, but a hypocrite isn't one of them."
"And there's nothing that says you guys can't watch us." Andros handed Zhane his morpher. "If something goes wrong, you guys can come down."
"I don't like this." Karone tried to compose herself, but the composure fell apart when her brother hugged her. "What if Ashley really is gone? What if she kills you?"
"She won't." Andros whispered. "I can't explain it, but I know she's still in there and I can get her back." He pulled back and looked at his sister. "I need you to trust me."
"You're reckless when it comes to her." She closed her eyes. "Just please try not to get yourself killed."
"I promise."
Dark Fortress
She ran to her room and mentally slammed the double doors. She wanted to break something. The images kept coming and she didn't like what they were making her feel, but she couldn't stop them.
She hated the emotions that seeing him brought to the surface. It was so much easier to be angry. But the memories of the red ranger weren't bad. His smile melted her heart every time.
"STOP IT!" She screamed aloud. This had to stop. If the red ranger was gone, maybe the visions would stop too. She now knew what she had to do.
Angel Grove Park
He wasn't surprised that she was already there sitting on the bench when he arrived. However, he was surprised that she'd decided to come incognito. She looked the way she did when he first met her in that restaurant, but her eyes were different. They were haunted.
"Hi." It was all he could manage when he sat beside her.
"Hello red ranger." She wouldn't look at him. "Say what you have to say so we can be done."
"What exactly do you know about Raven?"
"Where are you going with this?"
Andros figured that Darkliptor would leave out a vital piece of Raven's history. "Did he tell you how she died?"
She finally looked at him. "How?"
"She was killed by her minion." He saw the surprise in her eyes. "She didn't think he would ever go up against her so she let down her guard and he killed her the first chance he got."
She sent him a cocky grin. "Darkilptor isn't that stupid."
"Really?" He inquired sarcastically. "Because Darkonda, the dominant part of Darkilptor, was Raven's minion." At her shocked expression he responded. "I guess he left out that part."
She rubbed her temple. "He did leave that part out."
"You can't trust him."
"And I can trust you?" She snapped. "I said no mind games." The images were coming so quickly that she could barely sort through them.
Andros frowned. "What are you talking about?" He reached for her out of habit.
She quickly stood avoiding his touch. "Stay out of my head!"
"Look at me!" He shouted back. "I'm not doing anything."
And she did look at him and she knew he spoke the truth. Her demeanor became one of worry and barely covered panic. "What's wrong with me?"
"It's okay." He moved toward her. "Everything's gonna be okay."
"Don't touch me." She turned from him.
He reached for her and grabbed her arm. At the contact he immediately pulled away and gasped in utter shock. "Oh my god."
"What's wrong? What did you see?"
His breathing was unsteady as he spoke. "You need to come with me now."
"Why?" She asked uneasily.
"You have to trust me." He stretched out his hand to her. "Please."
She did trust him. She couldn't deny what she saw in his eyes. She took his hand.
With a sudden inhale his grip on her hand painfully tightened. She looked at him in confusion until he fell forward into her arms, sending them both to their knees. When her arms came around him she felt and saw the blood.
"No." She whispered.
"Ashley." He struggled as if every breath he took might be the last. "I love you." His voice broke. "Run." He was suddenly eerily still and limp in her arms.
She put her hand over the wound in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding.
Darkliptor gradually became visible to the naked eye, fresh blood dripping from the tip of his sword. "No, I'm not stupid enough to betray you." He said as he moved from behind the fallen red ranger to stand behind her. "But I am smart enough."
He sighed and raised his sword. "I love it when a plan comes together."
(A/N: I had to make this one a little longer to try and make up for my long hiatus. But I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think.)