Disclaimer: Power Rangers belongs to Saban, Sidra and Professor Barlow are my own creation

Disclaimer: Power Rangers belongs to Saban, Sidra and Professor Barlow are my own creation.

Part Three

Andros paced nervously. "What's taking so long?"

"Be patient, Andros." Sidra said.

"I'm sure Karone is just fine." Ashley added.

"What kind of credentials does this guy have, anyway?" Zhane thought aloud. "Who was the idiot that gave him his Ph.D.?"

"Shut up Zhane!" The girls said together.

"Why is everybody picking on me?"

"Because you're acting like a jerk." Sidra replied. "Is he always like this? If he is, maybe I should reconsider staying here."

"Leave him alone." Andros said. "He's just as nervous as we are, perhaps even more so, and this is his way of showing it."

"An interesting theory." Cassie said seriously. "Have you ever considered therapy?"

"As a career, or being in it?" Cassie giggled.

Ashley groaned. "Do you think he knows anything about pain killers? You people are giving me a headache."

"Maybe he could split your head open." Zhane said sarcastically. "It's probably the only thing he knows how to do." This time they refrained from telling him to shut up.

"How long has it been?" Andros asked impatiently.

Ashley looked at her watch. "It's been..."

The door opened and Barlow stepped out.

"Is she okay?" Andros said urgently.

"We won't know until she wakes up. Just as a precaution, perhaps we could restrain her..."

Zhane jumped out of his seat. "More and more, I'm starting to believe that I'm right and you are a quack."

"Zhane!" Sidra pushed him back into the chair. "I'm so sorry. My brother desperately needs mental help."

"Quite all right, Sidra, my dear. I can understand how he's feeling."

"What do you know about how I'm feeling?"

"I felt the same way when my wife had surgery many years ago. Of course, she died, so that could be the reason. But in any case, I can sympathize."

"Did you have to say that?" Andros said. "I was worried enough, and it hadn't even occurred to me."

"It did to me. I don't know what I'm going to do if anything happens to Karone. I never got a chance to tell her how I felt about her."

"Well, there's no time like the present. I think she's awake." They followed Ashley inside.

Karone sat up. "My head hurts. What happened to me? How'd I get here?"

"We brought you." Sidra said. "You probably don't remember me. I'm Sidra, Zhane's sister. I used to be your baby-sitter."

"Oh, how interesting. But start at the beginning. Last thing I remember was Ecliptor..."

Zhane patted her hand. "They brainwashed both of you. But Sidra knew this guy and he was able to fix you." He pointed at Barlow, who was looking thrilled that it actually worked.

"How long have I been like that?"

"A couple of weeks." Andros replied.

Karone turned to Professor Barlow. "Is there anything you can do to help Ecliptor?"

He shook his head. "No, it was only for humans. Not for whatever he is."

"He's Ecliptor. Not any particular species, just Ecliptor. There is no other."

"Yes, well, I can't help him. I'm sorry."

"Karone seems to me like someone who has a fondness for creatures like that." Sidra commented.

"Of course. Why'd you think she likes Zhane?" Karone glared at her brother.

"Hey!" Zhane began. Then he sighed. "Oh, well, at least you said she likes me."

Karone turned bright red. "When did you get back?"

"Right after you left."

"You always have had the worst timing."

"Guys, do you think you could move this lover's quarrel somewhere else?" Ashley giggled. "I love that expression."

"Lovers? Ha! I'm going to go change."

"You do that. And maybe when you do you'll suddenly become nice to me." Karone ignored him.

"By the way, I love you." Zhane called after her.

"Yeah, whatever." She replied.

"Well, I should be going now."

"Of course. I'll take you. I'll see you later guys." Sidra and the professor left as well.

"Bye." Ashley said distractedly. "Maybe you can give them couples therapy."

"Who? Sidra and Barlow?" Andros said confused.

"No, Zhane and Karone."

Zhane snorted. "She's the one that needs therapy. No matter how hard I try to be nice, she's always mean to me."

"Give her a break. You're cranky when you first wake up, too." T.J. pointed out. "She needs time to adjust."

Zhane sighed. "Maybe you're right."

"Of course he is. He didn't you to be our leader for nothing." Ashley said brightly.

"Are you implying that people think I'm stupid." T.J. said, hurt.

"You're too sensitive."

Karone came back into the room. Andros looked over at Zhane. He looked like he had just won a million dollars.

"She's not that pretty, Zhane. No offense."

"That was pretty offensive to me."

"And to me. You should know I'm better than that."

Andros raised an eyebrow. "Are you?"

"Yes. I'm not happy because of her, I'm happy cause of her."

"That makes no sense." Cassie commented.

"The movies." Zhane replied. They looked at him blankly.

"We ran into each other at the movies that time. Literally." Karone explained. "I was looking like this."

"I thought it was you. And I was right."

"Why were you there in the first place? Is that when you had the date?"

"Andros!" Ashley elbowed him. "Don't be so nosy."

"I'm her brother. It's my job."

"It's okay. It was before that. Afterwards I asked him out. But he was late."

"Because of the monster. You guys remember. Horribull was blocking your weapons."

"He is right." Carlos said.

"Oh. I guess I owe you an apology then. I'm sorry."

"I'll forgive you. If you go out with me again. And this time, don't blast me again. Those flowers turned out to be a real waste of money."

"Only if you're on time." She looked at Andros hopefully.

"Fine. Do what you want. But leave me out of it. And if I see..., well, I don't want to think about it."

"It could be worse," said Ashley.

"Don't go there."

"We won't. Trust me."

"Trust us, you mean."

Karone nodded. "Right. Trust us."

"It's getting late." Alpha said. "You need your sleep."

"Good night Alpha." They chorused and they went to sleep.

* * * * * *

"Zhane, wake up."

Zhane opened his eyes. "Karone, what are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep." She replied.

"What does that have to do with me? Just because you can't sleep, doesn't mean I can't either."

"You'll have all day to sleep."

"Why didn't you go to Andros?"

"I didn't want to wake him up."

"But you can wake me up?"

Karone gave him a look. "We're going somewhere tomorrow. Besides, I trust you more."

Zhane sighed. "I'm going to regret this. Okay, you can stay. But only for a half-hour. No more. Then you're going back to your own room."

Karone nodded. "All right."

"So what's the matter?"

Karone sat down next to him. "First of all, I'm worried about Ecliptor. What if Darkonda or someone tries to hurt him?"

"I'm sure he'll be fine. He's under Dark Spectre's control now, so they can't hold anything against him."

"I wish there was something we could do to help him."

"Don't worry. We'll find a way." Zhane said confidently. "I promise."

"Thanks." Karone hugged him.

"You think you can go to sleep now?"

She shook her head. "No, that was only one of the things that was bothering me."

"What else?"

"Two things. I'm worried I might become Astronema again."

"You won't. That guy knew what he was doing. I admit, I didn't think so at first, but he proved me wrong."

"I hope so. And the last thing is, do you think everyone will forgive me for the things I've done?"

"Of course. Most of us already do. The people on Earth don't even know about them. And once the rebels find out you're Karone, they'll get over it."

"Okay. Thank you." Karone kissed him on the cheek and went back to her room. D.E.C.A. shut the lights and he went back to sleep.

* * * * * *

"Zhane, wake up." He was awakened the second time that night, this time by his sister.

Zhane glared at her. "What do you want?"

"I just came to check on you?"

"Couldn't you do that while I was asleep."

"Yes, but I wanted to find out how Karone is doing."

"She's fine. She woke me up a few hours ago. Didn't you two ever hear the expression, 'Let sleeping Zhanes lie'?"

"No, we haven't. We enjoying irritating you anyway."

" Too bad. Now if you don't mind, I need my rest." He rolled over. Sidra poked him.

"Leave me alone."

"Come on. We haven't seen each other in years. We have a lot of catching up to do. Isn't that more important then sleep?"

"Obviously it is to you. But the only things I want to catch are Zs. D.E.C.A., what time is it?"

"It is 5 A.M. in Angel Grove."

"Five? The Sun's not even awake yet!" Zhane exclaimed.

"We live in space. We don't have a sun." Sidra reminded him.

"Whatever. Just leave. Please. I'm begging you."

"Fine, go back to sleep. I had something important to talk to you about, but I guess it will have to wait."

"Good. Now go!" Zhane covered his head with his pillow.

Sidra smiled at him and quietly tiptoed out of the room.

* * * * * *

The next morning, Zhane went to breakfast to find that all of his friends were waiting for him.

"Finally. I thought you'd never wake up." Sidra said.

Zhane got a bagel out of the Synthetron. It was one of the many 'Earth foods', as Andros called them, that he had come to like. "Where's Karone?" He asked as he took a large bite.

"She's still asleep. I was worried she'd get here before you."

"Why? What's up?"

"That's what we'd like to know." Andros replied. "But she wouldn't say it unless we were all here. Now you can tell us."

"All right. When our powers were created, there was supposed to be an eighth ranger. The Purple Ranger. I think Karone could be that Ranger. If she deserves it."

"What do you mean?" Carlos asked puzzled.

"It has immense power and would be extremely dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. Zordon made it so that only one person could have that power. Someone he believed was worthy. He thought we deserved our powers, but anyone could have them if they had the morpher. But for this, only one person can use it. Otherwise it won't work. I think Karone is that person. Zordon was considering the four of us as rangers when we were kids. It makes sense. The only thing is, would she want it?"

"Why wouldn't she?" asked T.J.

"Because, she's scared she'll become Astronema again." Zhane replied.

"How do you know?" Andros asked.

"She told me. She might be scared to try."

"You're right." They saw Karone standing in the doorway. "And even if I do try, I probably don't deserve it, after all the things I've done."

"But that wasn't your fault. They brainwashed you." Cassie said.

"Not the whole time. Before I was acting on my own."

"Not completely. I believe Dark Spectre did something to you that made you evil. He gave you all those bitter feelings. It just wore off after a while. Don't worry. If anything is going to happen, you won't be able to use the powers."

Karone considered it for a moment. "All right. I'll try. It can't hurt."

"So where's the morpher?" Zhane asked.

"I have it right here." Sidra pulled it out of her pocket and handed it to Karone. "It works the same as the others."

Karone looked at it, unsure of what to do.

"You remember Karone. From when you were Ashley."

She nodded slightly and closed her eyes. "Let's rocket." She said, in barely a whisper. She started to open it. Andros stopped her.

"No, no, no." He shook his head. "Say it like you mean it."

"Yeah," Ashley added. "Get into the spirit. Really shout it out."

"Okay. Let's rocket!" She opened the morpher and began pressing the buttons; 3, 3, 5. She closed her eyes as she pressed the last button. Almost immediately, she felt a strange sensation come over her. She opened her eyes. "Did it work?"

Andros grinned proudly. "Yup. You did it!"

Karone took off her helmet. "I don't believe it. I actually did it." Andros gave her a big hug.

"I'm the Purple Ranger. This is so, so... what's the word?"

"Cool." Ashley supplied.

"Right. This so cool. Andros, could you let go? You're suffocating me."

"Oh, sorry." He released her.

"One thing, though. How do I get this off?"

The others laughed. "Say, power down." T.J. instructed.

"Pow-"

"Hold that thought." D.EC.A. interrupted. "I detect a disturbance on Earth."

"Come on." The Rangers headed for the jump tubes. Karone put her helmet back on and followed Andros.

They arrived on Earth a few minutes later.

"This is so cool!" Karone started to say. But her spirits sank when she saw who was waiting for them.

It was Ecliptor.

To be continued.