Hi, guys. What's up with you?
1. I don't know why, but I think of this chapter as an Andros chapter, though there is very little Andros here. Maybe you'll figure why.
2. Most of the story surrounding Carlos's mystery dish is real: it's just such a good story I couldn't resist the temptation. In real life, my best friend could cook more than one dish, and the Carlos/Ashley situation was reversed, as he had a girlfriend, and I was the one left behind.
So now you know what gave me the idea for "Shiera". But, as you might have noticed, there's much more!
4. Looking Back
"Lookin' back on how it was
In years gone by
And the good times that I had
Makes today seem rather sad
So much has changed."
"Yesterday Once More", Words & Music by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis.
"Hi", said Zhane, entering the kitchen.
Carlos, who was sitting by the table, smiled at him tiredly. "Hi", he answered.
"Wasn't TJ supposed to land you a hand?" asked Zhane, sitting himself.
"I threw him out after he cut his finger. He's too tired"
"So what's the surprise dinner?"
"It wouldn't be a surprise if I tell you, right?"
"You know me, I won't tell anyone else"
"Won't miss a teasing for the world, will you?" asked Carlos, amused. "As it's in the oven already…". He told him.
"What?", asked Zhane.
"Oh, right, you've never had it before". Carlos smiled. "Ashley must be really tired if she forgot it's my specialty"
Zhane pointed his finger at Carlos. "There's a story here, isn't there?"
"Yes, there is". Carlos rocked backwards in his chair. "It was – what, six years ago? I slept over at Ashley's. Not that we got any sleep, we talked all through the night. We skipped dinner, and by 3 a.m. we were starved. We sneaked down to the kitchen, and while I improvised on the supplies from the fridge, Ashley came up with the 3 a.m. healthy diet speech". Carlos sniggered. "This is hardly considered to be "healthy food" though"
"It smells delicious". Zhane eyed the oven. "Is it ready?"
"No, there's still some time to go". Carlos landed his chair with a small thud. "DECA, where are everybody?"
"In their respective quarters"
"Good. Zhane, I owe you an apology". Seeing the astounded look on Zhane's face, Carlos continued: "I don't know how I would have made it through the last days if not for you, and I owe you the thanks of a lifetime for being there for me. I also owe you an apology, because I was good and ready to hate you before the Shiera affair started. I got passed Ashley and Andros by telling myself that he and I have different roles in her life. Then you popped out of nowhere, and seemingly took the little affection Ashley still had for me. It didn't help that you are Andros's best friend too". Carlos took a deep breath. "There, I said it. Hi, are you ok?"
Zhane had his face buried in his hands, and his entire body was trembling. Carlos reached out to touch him, openly concerned. Zhane raised his face and, to Carlos's great surprise, he was laughing, not crying.
"This is the best joke ever!" he managed to say between loud guffaws.
Carlos stared. "Maybe you didn't hear me right. I said I almost hated you"
"I heard you all right", answered Zhane, wiping his eyes, "Why do you think it was so important to me to befriend Ashley? How would you feel to wake up one fine day, and hear you've been out for two years, and that your best and only friend acquired himself a whole new bunch in your place?"
Now it was Carlos's turn to be shocked. "That's why you befriended Ashley?"
"You bet! Sure, she's a great person, but I didn't discover it until later! All I knew, she was the new most important person in Andros's life, and getting close to her was a way of staying close to him!"
Carlos was gaping now. "You were afraid Andros might abandon you? Come on, a blind man could see he loves you like a brother!"
"I was terrified nonetheless!"
Both boys burst out laughing.
"We're a lot like each other, aren't we?" said Carlos after a good few minutes, after they calmed a bit.
"Guess so"
"You know what I just realized?"
"What?"
"You missed out two years of your life. You may look the same age like the rest of us, but you're not; you're younger"
Zhane sobered a little. "You know that you and Andros are the only ones who realized this?"
"Really?"
Zhane nodded.
"I mean, it's strange. Cassie is usually more people-smart than that, and with all the time you and Ashley spent together… I guess it was easier to tag you as the prankster"
"Half the time I wasn't even here, don't forget"
"I don't, but still". Carlos frowned. "I'm just trying to imagine what you were going through, and I'm mentally slapping myself for not noticing any of it"
"You had your own worries"
"Don't make excuses for me"
"Hi, I was a prat myself. Andros thought I was hitting on Ashley, and you thought I'm stealing you your best friend"
"You had more than good reasons to panic. I could always turn to TJ or Cassie"
"You would have never done it. TJ is your former leader, and Cassie is too close to him. End of discussion"
"Shall we call it a truce?"
"Agreed"
They shook hands solemnly.
"I smell smoke" remarked Zhane.
Carlos jumped with a small yelp. "Oh no!"
"Well?" asked Cassie when TJ returned to the mess.
"Zhane won't let me in the kitchen. He said that Carlos burnt the food, but I wouldn't trust anything he says when he wears that smile" replied TJ crustily. He said down. "He started saying something about healthy nutrition, but Carlos overheard him and yelled at him to shut up"
"Healthy diet, not healthy nutrition" said Ashley, giggling. "Zhane must have mixed it up"
"What?" asked Andros.
"Oh, I won't spoil the boys their surprise!"
"Ashley!" said Cassie pleadingly.
"Don't worry", answered Ashley soothingly, "It's the only thing Carlos can cook, but he sure knows how to make it"
Cassie was about to launch another try, but was interrupted by Zhane.
"Carlos says give them the speech. Everything's ready" he said and set down. "Make it quick, I'm hungry enough to eat a Quantrone"
"Not two?" joked Ashley, and begun her speech: "What does the human body need after prolonged effort, such as battling a Sassyquatch or talking the night away? Complex carbohydrate, to substitute for the lost energy, protein and fatty acids to rebuild more cells, salts and calcium to sustain blood pressure, and the general assortment of vitamins".
Carlos entered the mess, balancing a large platter on each hand. The smell coming from the platters was unmistakable.
"Go ahead, finish it", he said.
"All of the above ingredients can be most easily found in the best dish of all", declared Ashley in a deliberately pompous voice: "Pizza!"
With a proud smile, Carlos landed the two platters on the table, and revealed two enormous pizzas, loaded with all the works. "They're a little overcooked", he apologized.
The other Rangers silenced him with cheers and applauds, and he bowed to them, beaming.
"Can't cook, ah?" he taunted Ashley.
"Tease her later", said Cassie, snatching a knife, "The boys are drooling"
After the second attack, Darkonda retreated to an older hideout of his. He hasn't used the place for years and years, and it was all covered with dust and cobwebs. Halfway through tiding the place he came across a stash he locked away when he abandoned the hideout. He hissed. This is what the attacker is looking for, he thought, I should have never returned here! He turned to pack the little belongings he brought with him; too late.
"The first, for my planet". A scorching blow from behind.
"The second, for my people". A kick in his ribs that sent him reeling, until he crashed against the wall.
He tried to turn, to see the attacker, but all he caught was a glimpse of gold and orange, before the voice and the sword came again: "The third, for Karone"
An older boy, perhaps 15 years old, is searching through the bodies, frantic. The small child crawls out. The boy scoops her up and runs away, into a large building close by. Everything is fine for several hundred meters – if one ignores the clear indications of mass murder – but than a troop of drones marching close by notice the running boy and comes after him, guns firing. The boy turns his back to them. He takes a direct hit and fall. His dead body covers the girl. The drones never see her, and continue to march by.
For the second night, Ashley woke with the wail of that forlorn child in her ears, trembling like mad. It took her almost half a minute to gather herself enough to stand on her feet and teleport to the Astro Mega Ship, to the corridor directly outside Andros's quarters. The blinking green light indicated the door wasn't locked, and she entered the room.
Andros was curled in a fetal position on his bunk, eyes open and unseeing. Zhane was sitting next to him, holding him and obviously trying to sooth him. His eyes were still wide with fear.
"You want to get Andros or the hot chocolate?" he asked.
"Andros", she replied firmly, and took Zhane's position on the bunk as he left to bring the comforting drink.
Andros was pale, but not shaking. His pulse and breathing were accelerated. All of Ashley's warm embrace and soothing words didn't reach him at all. Ashley suspected that while she and Zhane were woken by the horrors of the dream, Andros was still trapped in it. Her heart was wrenched between fear, anger and strong protective instincts. She held Andros tighter, trying to convey to him that he was protected and loved.
Zhane returned with a very large thermal mug. He put it on Andros's bedside cabinet.
"Still the same?" he asked.
She nodded.
"You want to do tonight's shift?"
"You did yesterday's"
"It usually takes him half an hour to one hour to fall asleep. Right before he does, there will be a few moments in which he'll be semi-awake. Get him to drink the chocolate before he's fully asleep. I left some for you in the kitchen"
"Thanks"
"So we're taking alternate nights?"
"It's the smartest thing to do. You go back to sleep now"
"As if"
For the second night in a row, Astronema was woken by a piercing headache. The headache pulsated in her temples, making it impossible to see, almost to breath. It was a pain such as she never experienced before. She clutched her locket and closed her eyes forcefully, trying to calm her racing heart.
It's my brother, I know it is! He's in pain, I can feel it. Her face writhed as the throbbing soared, almost tearing her head open. A fleeting image passed before her eyes: flashes of green and gold, like sunlight through dense vegetation, the high voice of another child – my brother! – and then a dark, menacing figure. Another wave of pain made the image go away. I've never remembered so clearly before. He must be very close to me. Her forced-calm breathing was taking effect, and the pain subsided slowly. She almost wanted it to linger, as it was her only connection to her brother, but she knew it wasn't a very good idea, and grudgingly, she let go of it. There's always next night, was her last thought before she fell asleep again.
"Now that you've got what you wanted, can we stop stalking that ugly ogre?"
"Not I; he still has two incarnations to go"
"What do you mean, not you? What about me?"
"It's time for you to go home"
"I thought you needed my help"
"I do. I need you to act as my herald again"
"Herald? Oh, he's not going to like it. Do you think he'd even accept it?"
"I'm certain. Don't tell him right away. Wait for the fifth day"
"All right. Anything else?"
"No… Yes. If you are to act as my herald, you should wear the proper heraldic insignia, don't you think?"
"Why, I can hear tears in your voice"
"If only you knew how much this means to me"
"So tell me"
I'm too old for this. I should have never lived so long. Never mind now, it is almost over. I knew it was nearing since that dumpster was opened, and the planet I sought to protect was endangered once more. Brave Tommy crossed the line so shortly afterwards, that I expected her "Hunter" to rise almost every day. Those last years were, to me, as long as a millennium. And now, I sense, the Path of the Rainbow was opened. It won't be long now.
Next time: "I love you. Don't you ever go away again"
