Dancing in the Shadows Part 2
Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers and none of the characters found within the story are mine, etc.
Setting: After DitS Part 1, and between the PRiS episodes "A Date with Danger" and "Zhane's Destiny."
Burning Hot
By: Pink Ranger Karone
Astronema couldn't stop smiling when she returned to the Dark Fortress. Zhane was so perfect! He was handsome, strong, funny, and sweet. "He couldn't possibly be capable of killing an innocent family," Astronema thought to herself. Suddenly, she felt her happiness slipping away. Could Ecliptor, the only person she'd ever trusted, have been lying to her since she was a small child, or was the Silver Ranger not at all what he seemed? Astronema stared at herself in the mirror. How could she figure out who anyone else was when she didn't even know herself?
***
Cassie Chan had her arms crossed and was glaring at Zhane. "And just where have you been?" she asked.
Zhane slowly turned around to face her. "Um, I've been on, um, Earth," he stammered.
"Doing what?" the Pink Ranger asked.
"Why do you want to know?" Zhane replied with his own question.
"Because earlier you were pouting and refused to tell us why, then you disappear for hours, and now you're back and in a great mood. What's up?" Cassie replied.
"If you must know, I met a girl," Zhane informed her. "Earlier, we were fighting but now we've made up. That's what was with the change in my attitude. Happy now?"
Cassie looked at him quizzically. "What's her name?"
Zhane turned pale and stared at her for a moment, not knowing quite how to respond.
Cassie raised her eyebrows. "You don't know her name?"
Before Cassie could interrogate Zhane any further, Andros came down the hall. "Andros!" Zhane greeted his best friend happily.
"What are you two doing still up?" Andros asked.
"Well, I heard Zhane come in so I went to check on him. He claims to have had a date, although apparently he's already forgotten her name," Cassie said.
Andros raised his eyebrows a little, and Zhane glared daggers at Cassie. Zhane decided to change the subject. "So, Andros, what are you doing still awake?"
Andros seemed to wince a little. "I was looking for Karone again," he answered.
Zhane placed a sympathetic hand on his best friend's shoulder. "I take it you had no luck."
Andros shook his head. "It's as if my sister and Zordon fell into some black hole somewhere. There's no sign of either one of them."
"We'll find them," Cassie promised.
Andros sighed. "It's times like this that I'm not so sure," he admitted. "Well, I should go and get some sleep now. I'm supposed to meet Ashley on the SimuDeck in just a couple of hours."
Cassie gave Andros a hug goodnight. Once the Red Ranger had left, she turned around to continue her conversation with Zhane, but realized he had sneaked away while her back was turned. She stared to go after him but before she could she saw was looked like a piece of paper laying on the ground.
"Zhane must have dropped this," she said as she walked over to it. As soon as she picked it up she realized it was a picture, not a piece of paper. She gasped as she turned the picture over and saw who it was of. "Astronema?" she asked aloud. "Is that what Zhane was out with tonight?"
***
"My Princess," Ecliptor said as Astronema emerged from her quarters the following morning, "I have been wanting to speak with you."
"Then speak," Astronema said dryly.
"I believe now would be a good time to attack the Rangers," Ecliptor suggested.
"We just sent a monster yesterday," Astronema replied curtly.
"That is why we should attack now," Ecliptor said. "They have not yet had a chance to fully recover from the Horror Bull."
Astronema was silent for a moment. She didn't want to do anything to hurt Zhane, but how could she just stop sending monsters to attack the Rangers? She couldn't exactly explain to Ecliptor that she was falling for the Silver Ranger. And Dark Specter would soon notice, and that would be the end of her. "You're right. Send a monster, Ecliptor," she ordered. "And see that the Power Rangers are destroyed this time."
Ecliptor nodded. "As you wish, My Princess."
As soon as Ecliptor was gone, Astronema ran back into her quarters, fell to her knees, and burst into tears.
***
Astronema waited for Zhane the following night by the campfire. Again, she felt relief that the Power Rangers had been successful in their last battle against her forces, and then the always-accompanying pang of guilt for ever feeling happy that such a thing had occurred. She felt as if her softness towards the Silver Ranger was causing her to betray Ecliptor, who had raised her like a daughter after the Power Rangers had savagely murdered her family.
A new thought hit Astronema and it chilled her to the bone. What if her parents and her brother had not been the kind people she's always thought they'd been, but in reality had been evil? What if the Power Rangers had not slaughtered innocents, but had actually defeated minions of the forces of darkness? That was a thought that Astronema could not bear, and she pushed it out of her mind.
After a while, Astronema was getting annoyed. "Is he just stupid?" she asked herself after she realized Zhane was late once again. "I know Ecliptor didn't send any monsters tonight."
Zhane finally did show up--over an hour late. Astronema took a deep breath and vowed not to shoot him that time. "Why are you late?" she asked.
Zhane crossed his arms and glared at her. "I almost didn't come," he said coldly.
Astronema took a step back. The look in his eyes and the tone in his voice made her want to cry. "Why?" she asked, her voice cracking a little.
"Why did you send a monster yesterday, Astronema?" he asked. He said her name as if it was a curse.
Astronema bit her lip to keep from crying. "I had to. If I didn't, Ecliptor and Darkonda would start to wonder what was wrong with me," she explained softly.
"I could've died," Zhane said, "And the last time I checked, you don't try to kill someone you care about."
Astronema couldn't hold in the tears any longer. "I didn't want to kill you yesterday. I was just doing what I've always known to do."
"Didn't you even care that you could've killed me that way?" Zhane yelled at her.
Astronema began to cry harder. "Did you destroy the monster yesterday?" she asked suddenly.
Zhane gave her a puzzled look. "Of course I did," he answered.
"Did you ever stop to think," Astronema asked through sobs, "that maybe one of those monsters or some other villain you've destroyed could've been, say, part of my family, and by destroying it you've hurt me?"
Zhane arms dropped to his sides. "What are you talking about?" he asked. "Was that monster your cousin or something."
"No," Astronema replied.
"Uncle?"
"No."
"Grandmother?"
"No!" Astronema sighed. "I wasn't related to that monster, Zhane. "The question was merely hypothetical."
"Oh."
"And I do care about you," she assured him. "But you knew when we started this that I am a villain. I can't just stop being the Princess of Evil. It's who I am."
"I didn't think that the Princess of Evil could care about anyone," Zhane said icily.
Astronema, who had begun to stop crying, burst into tears again. "I can't help caring!" said exclaimed. "I want to hate you, and at first, I could. But from the first time I saw your face..." Her voice trailed off.
Zhane suddenly felt awful for what he had said and for making her cry. She was right. He had known from the start what he was getting himself into. He pulled her into his arms, letting her cry on his shoulder. "I know you care," he said gently.
Astronema clung to him. "I need you," she said softly. "Don't leave me."
Zhane kissed the top of her head. "I'm here."
***
When Zhane came back to the MegaShip that night, he found Cassie leaning against his door. "What are you doing?" Zhane asked.
Cassie said nothing. She just held up the picture of Astronema that she had found the other night.
Zhane felt cold.