Hi guys. At long last, "Karone" finally begins. I have to admit, I'm excited. How about you?

As I remind you each time: review. Please. It means a lot, it helps a lot… And if you won't, I'll leave you dangling from a cliffhanger, I swear.


1. Against All Odds

"How can you just walk away from me, when all I can do is watch you leave

'Cos we've shared the laughter and the pain, and even shared the tears

You're the only one who really knew me at all"

"Against All Odds" ("Take A look At Me Now"), Phill Collins


He was woken by the insistent chirping of his door. "I'm coming!" growled Zhane. He stumbled out of bad. The chirping continues. "Andros, if you're getting back at me for something, I swear…". He opened the door. "Carlos?"

Without a word, the black Ranger entered his friend's room. He held out a small metallic disk for Zhane to look at.

"Do you know that it is?"

"It's Phoenix's mark," said Zhane. He woke up immediately. "Where did you get it?"

"Found it" said Carlos shortly. Only then did Zhane notice something very strange.

"You're happy!"

"Read". He put a note into Zhane's hand. "Be careful with it"

Zhane read the short scribble, and his jaw dropped.

"Wow", was all he managed to say. "How…"

"Was woken up by a kiss. Found the note, the disk and some flowers"

Zhane grinned. "You got ever so lucky"

"I know," admitted Carlos. "I think that as soon as this really penetrates my skull, I'll wake the entire ship by crying with joy"

"None will blame you"

"So while I still got some of my wits about be, why don't you explain me the disk and the p.s.?"

"Phoenix's mark is easy enough, but as for the p.s…" Zhane shrugged, "Don't get it"

Carlos crashed into a chair.

"On with it"


"Astronema"

The princess woke with a start. Ecliptor was kneeling by her bed.

"What is it?"

He held Phoenix's mark to her. She set upright.

"Phoenix?" she breathed.

"I found it in Shiera's rooms"

All the color drained from Astronema's face.

"No" she whispered.

"There was no body"

"This is no comfort, Ecliptor!". Astronema buried her face in her hands for some very long seconds. Finally, she raised it and looked at him. "Do we know how she got on board?"

"No"

"Do we know how she left?"

"No"

"Are there any traces?"

"No"

"Who found this?"

"I did"

"How?"

"I was on my way to my rooms. I heard noise from Shiera's rooms. I hurried there, but I was too late"

"Any sign of struggle? Any blood?"

"Nothing at all"

"Just the mark"

"Yes"

Astronema looked at the small disk lying in her palm. Why did it have to be like that? She wondered. After everything, why did it have to end this way?

Ecliptor, who was watching her closely, noticed some of her emotional turmoil.

"My princess…" he said softly.

Her head jerked up. "I should inform Dark Specter"

"Indeed so"

"Get him for me while I get properly dressed"


"Phoenix is something of a terrorist, only she's on our side"

"A good terrorist?" blinked Carlos.

"It's an odd concept, but as long as she's only taking down the bad guys, who cares?" answered Zhane.

"So who is she?"

"Nobody knows. She appeared some five years ago. We only know that she calls herself "Phoenix" because she left the inscription "I Am Phoenix" after her first killing"

"Killing"

"There's never a body though. Just a bad guy who disappeared, and Phoenix's mark left where he or she were last seen. She usually takes one every few days."

Carlos whistled. "Busy lady"

"Sometimes she sends threatening massages to her next victims, telling them when she'll get them. They always go into hiding, and it never helps them"

"Five years, that's how many killed?"

"A lot. I don't remember the exact number"

"But she didn't kill Shiera"

"Guess not, she wrote you a letter"

"Why would she ever go back to the Dark Fortress, if the spell was broken?"

"I don't know", Zhane shook his head, "But that's probably why Phoenix didn't kill her, she knew she wasn't evil"

"She took her anyhow"

"She's alive, she loves you, she's on our side, she's coming back… You should be mad with joy, not with worries!"

"I am; I'm just very, very, very exhausted from everything that happened today. Talking to Tommy seems ages ago, and it's not yet twelve hours"

Zhane checked the time. "Nine hours"

Carlos leaned back in his chair. "I can't possibly fall asleep tonight"

"You'll be dead for the world tomorrow, and you've got school"

"I'm seriously considering faking the flu"

"With a little temperature and a little sneezing, no doctor will ever guess you're faking"

Despite his will, a smile escaped Carlos's lips. "Don't tell me you know how to fake sneezing"

"The sneezing will be genuine all right" chuckled Zhane. "And yes, I know how to set it up… Did it a lot as kid, until my mom caught me in the act. Gave me an earful"

"No kidding"


"Oh, I can't believe this, where are they?" muttered Ashley under her breath.

"Where are what?". Andros was leaning on the doorframe, his arms crossed on his chest. His expression was solemn, but Ashley could see a humoristic glint in his eyes.

"The chocolate candies. I've got a Trigo test today, and I just find out there's not a single candy in my house"

"The candies are in the top right cupboard. No, don't get a chair. I'll get them for you"

Both smiled broadly as Andros opened the cupboard without ever touching it, and the candies came zooming into Ashley's palms.

"Thanks"

"You're welcome. Not that I see what you need the candies for. You're great with Trigo"

"Doesn't mean I can't be nervous"

He tilted his head, something of the smile lingering across his lips. "True"

Ashley hugged him. A little surprised, Andros hugged her back.

"Now, tell me", she said when they finally broke off, "What's your good mood about?"

"Who said I'm in a good mood?" he teased, but quickly relented. "I've had a dream tonight"

"A good dream?"

"A very good one. I've found Karone - we were all back together on KO-35, you, Zhane, everyone – I've found everything and everyone I've ever lost – I was so happy – I guess something of the feeling remained"

"A lot of it" said Ashley sincerely. She hugged him again. "I've got to go to school. See you later"

"See you"


"What?" growled Dark Specter.

"The mark of Phoenix was found on board the Dark Fortress" replied Astronema calmly.

"Who was taken?"

"The green Ranger"

"So you were right about her. She was important"

"She was a fine warrior"

"Unfortunately, that insolent Phoenix penetrates anywhere. Only the Heart of Darkness is safe from her"

This caught Astronema by surprise. "Not even the Sumerian planet?"

"A squadron was eliminated there a week ago. I reside on that planet no longer. Have you anything else to report?"

"No"

"Very well". With that, the image of Dark Specter disappeared.


"Zhane!" roared Andros, storming through the engine's level. "I swear, when I find you…" He was combing the ship for an hour now, and still he didn't find his friend. He decided to change strategy. "DECA, where's Zhane?"

"In his quarters"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't ask"

As usually DECA volunteered him that kind of information, Andros knew immediately that something was up. His first though was the deadened look Carlos had the night before.

"Is Carlos on board?"

"Negative"

"Was Carlos on board during the night?"

"Affirmative"

"When?"

"From 1 AM to 5 AM"

Andros let out a curse. As Carlos only left the ship at around 23:00, this meant that Zhane didn't get more than 2 hours of sleep, and that Carlos didn't get even that. It meant two Rangers down for the day.

"DECA, tell me when Zhane wakes up"

"He is awake"

"Perfect" said Andros scathingly.


When Zhane opened his door, Andros fully expected him to be groggy and sleepy. He was completely unprepared to see him fully alert.

"I was wondering when you'd show up", said Zhane calmly.

That had Andros positively befuddled.

"What the hell happened?" he finally managed to say.

Zhane showed him the small golden object he was holding. "I talked Carlos into leaving this here"

If Andros was surprised before, it was absolutely nothing to the way he felt when he realized what Zhane was holding out to him: the deck was pulled from beneath his legs.

"How did that get to Carlos?" he stammered. "Shiera's not dead, isn't she?"

"She was very much alive when she left it in Carlos's room at 1 AM".

Andros's face went so blank, Zhane doubled over with laughter. The red Ranger had only one reply to that: he punched Zhane, hard.

"What did you go giving me a black eye for?" protested Zhane.

"You're going to explain me everything slowly and properly, or you'll have a twin set"

"I was trying to, before…". Zhane ducked under another punch. "Fine! Just sit down first, or you'll fall off your feet"

"Not wasting time, are you?" asked Zhane as he entered the infirmary, Andros right behind his back. "You said you'll be back at 08:30, and it's 08:31"


Carlos sneezed mightily. "Get that thing outside my nose!"

Andros sniggered. "I see Zhane didn't lose his touch"

"You bet he didn't," growled Carlos while Zhane carefully removed the small device from within his nostrils. "I barely convinced my mom I don't have pneumonia"

"It got you a day off"

"Who are you kidding? She's never going to believe it if I'll be healthy tomorrow"

"And that's a bad thing?" asked Andros.

"It's not", agreed Carlos. Zhane finally removed the sneezeroids. Carlos stood from the medical bed he was sitting on. "What are we doing today?"

"You're doing nothing", said Andros firmly. "You haven't slept all night, and from what Zhane told me, you've been through the emotional roller coaster of all times"

"I'm perfectly okay"

"That's the adrenaline speaking. I'll kick your ass if you'll do any work today"

"He means it," added Zhane. "I got hit already"

"That includes you too, Zhane. You slept as much as he did". Andros looked at the two sternly. "You've got a day off. Deal with it"

Zhane couldn't resist one more quip. "And that's a bad thing?"

For a second, it looked as if Andros was going to hit him. Then the red Ranger burst out laughing.


When one of the pre-set alarms beeped, Astronema really wanted to ignore. She was feeling right-out miserable and sad, and didn't feel like doing her work at all. However, as the noise was getting on her already thin nerves, and the alarm had no snooze option, Astronema finally checked what it was all about. The screen flashed: it showed the black and silver Rangers walking through the Angel Grove Park. As she was pretty sure that the two felt every bit a miserable as she did, watching them on screen provided her with a certain degree of company. She turned on the volume, and was suddenly very happy that she was in the privacy of her office, as her jaw dropped in a manner most inappropriate for the princess she was.

The two Rangers were speaking of Shiera – they were speaking as if she was alive – they were speaking about a letter she left after the time when Ecliptor found Phoenix's mark – Astronema pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She's alive, she thought dazedly. How?

The more she listened to the dialogue, the more confused she became. Why would she ever return here if the spell was broken? The two Rangers were just as astounded by this as she was. But than, she shouldn't have been really surprised. She was being true to her word: she promised me she'd come back. The idea was inconceivable, but it had to be true: it was the only possible explanation.

Astronema tore her gaze from the screen and cast it into the vast starry view outside her window. Wherever you are, I wish you only the best.


Next time: "So we burry our heads in the sand and keep this going until the bitter end?"