One-before-last chapter of "Karone"!

Choosing the lyrics for each chapter is a hellish task. It was extremely hard for this chapter – nothing would fit!

I ended up picking "Both Sides Now", but there's another option that was rather close.

The lyrics I didn't choose are from Alanis Morissette's "Ironic": "Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you/ When you think everything's okay and everything's going right/ And life has a funny way of helping you out when/ You think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up/ In your face" (the chapter name that might have went with those lyrics is "Irony").

If you're willing, please tell me which option you think is the better one, and why. I'd really appreciate your feedback on this.

Here goes…


8. Both Sides Now

"I've looked at life from both sides now

From win and lose and still somehow

It's life's illusions I recall

I really don't know life at all"

"Both sides now", Johnny Mitchell


The rest of the Rangers remained together after Andros retired to his room. They wandered to the bridge and performed the routine scans while discussing Phoenix's appearance animatedly. The talking, plus the fact that Shiera needed to be tutored, slowed the routine considerably. Three hours after the battle, the Rangers were still on the bridge, and Andros hasn't shown up yet.

"Would you guys mind if I go check on Andros?" asked Ashley. "He really should be better by now"

She was answered by a chorus of "Sure" and "Go ahead", and left the bridge. She returned rather quickly, with a frown on her face.

"His door is locked", she informed.

"DECA, where's Andros?" shot Zhane immediately.

"Andros is not on board"

Most of the Rangers exchanges worried glanced. Last time they heard that line, Andros went to the dangerous planet of Onyx, which resided in a restricted section of the galaxy. They could only imagine where Andros might have gone to this time.

Two Rangers, however, weren't worried: Zhane was furious, and Shiera was calm.

"Is there anything you want to tell us?" Zhane half-yelled at Shiera, barely holding his anger under check.

"Many things" she answered calmly. Only Carlos sensed her tense and quiver. He draped a protective arm around her shoulders. Shiera raised her eyes to him. "Carlos, that photo. Can you bring it?"

"Sure", he nodded, shooting Zhane a warning look as he left the bridge.

Nobody said a word. Zhane and Shiera glared daggers at one another.

Carlos returned shortly, and handed Shiera the photo. Shiera handed the photo straight to Zhane.

"You should be able to see it for yourself", she said.

"See what?"

"What's irregular in this photo? What's not the way it usually is?"

"You said you'll tell us what you saw, not hint us"

"This is something you should have noticed yourself"

"Let me try" suggested TJ, holding his hand forward.

"You won't see it" said Shiera, not even looking at him.

"Why not?"

"Because there's something you never came close enough to notice"

"And that would be?" asked Ashley.

"Do you remember when I tried to strangle Zhane?"

Zhane paled. "What does that have to do with this?" he demanded, knowing the reason Shiera targeted him.

"Everything"


This ship, it reeks of Evil. It is in the very metal of which it is built. It is in the spells that hold it together. It is in the engines that power it. It is, most important of all, in the hearts and souls of its inhabitants. Try as I may to block my senses, to blind myself, I still feel it, the vile and sinister desires, the harmful thoughts and, worst of all, the innate hate and anger which I was never able to understand, or their counterpart indifference. I am surrounded by Darkness. Under this shroud my light fails, slowly but surely.

I sense a change. A rift, ever so small, in the veil that conceals this ship from those who vainly search for me. A small bead of light, almost lost yet not flickering. Such a small light should have been burned out in this stench of Evil, yet it holds. I long to reach for it with my mind, but I hold back. There are some here who might sense my probing, and rob me of the little hope I just gained.

I trace the little light as it moves around the ship. So quickly and easily it moves, as if its bearer is not afraid of discovery. As if no danger lurks here for the emissaries of Good. As it comes closer to me I sense the magic in it, the power. This small light holds a great strength, so great that I marvel how it is possible. Closer and closer comes the light, until it is at the doors to the confinement of my tube, the tube that is the only connection to the universe I seek to protect. Can it be, that it is one of my children outside that door, one of my allies? My hope soars as the door slides open, and crash to the lowest pit as I see the bearer of the light.


Astronema could have sworn that Zordon was surprised to see her. No, not surprised; startled, as if he was expecting a visitor and she turned up in his place.

"Expecting someone?" she asked as the doors closed behind her.

"Have you come to mock me, princess of Darkness?"

She pretended to be hurt. "Do you think so little of me? I have come to talk to you"

"Save your taunting to those who deserve it, dark lady"

"I have been told, Zordon, that you know the key to a mystery I wish to unlock" she said, crossing half the length of the long gallery.

"I know the keys to unlock many mysteries, princess, and I will share none of them with an Evil creature like you"

"Even if it comes to my own flesh and blood?"

"I know nothing of your ancestry"

"I am human". She spat the last word like a derogatory. "Daughter to the species so dear to your heart"

"There are humans who crossed to the Evil side. Like all other iniquitous beings, they are not under my care"

She stepped closer to the tube, magic rising around her dangerously.

"I have been told", she said, stepping closet, her voice dripping with poorly concealed misgiving, "That you know the fate of my brother"

"I know nothing of your family"

"I thought the great Zordon never lies!" she scorned.

"I do not lie. I know nothing of any sibling you may or may not have"

"Do not lie to me!" she yelled, coming closer and holding out her locket. "Does this means nothing to you?"

Zordon's eyes widened. He seemed taken aback.

"Come closer, child", he asked quietly, "Let me have a closer look at that"

She came and stood right below his tube.

"How long have you had this?"

"As long as I remember"

"How far back do you remember?"

"To they day I was placed in Ecliptor's care, after the Power Rangers murdered my parents and my brother"

"Who told you I might know something of your brother?"

"A note was left it my room; by whom, I do not know". She brought out the note and read it to him.

"Bring forth your heirloom, child"

"I am no child" she snarled, but brought out the box and showed it to him. She could almost hear him holding his breath, so evident was his tremor.

"They will come for her…" he whispered incredulously. "Oh, my child, what was done to you?"


" "Everything" is a little vague, don't you think?" said Cassie, as everyone else seemed too dumbstruck to speak.

"Yet it is true", answered Shiera, her eyes still locked with Zhane's.

"You are holding back", hissed Zhane at her.

"So are you. What does "When the sun changes" mean?"

"What?" asked TJ.

"The p.s." said Carlos, brows furrowed. "There was a p.s. to Shiera's note, a message to Zhane", he explained to the others, "It said: there's a message that should get to Zhane. Tell him they'll all return when the sun changes. But Zhane told me he doesn't know what it means, Shiera"

"I know for certain that he knows who are those who should return" replied Shiera, "And according to Phoenix, he knows what the other part means, too. She was right about everything else so far"

"You're just trying to distract them", accused Zhane, who was so anxious he was almost sweating. "Where is Andros, Shiera?"

"He went for Karone"

Zhane looked as if the ground was pulled from beneath his feet. The others showed different degrees of disbelief.

"There's the key, right in front of you, in that photo", continued Shiera.

Zhane stared at the photo. Ashley came over and took it from his hands, looking at it closely.

"Andros is wearing his locket outside his shirt", she said, "He usually has it hidden"

Shiera nodded. "Yours and Andros's are the same one, Zhane", she said.

Zhane dropped to the deck. Carlos rushed to his side.

"Shiera?" he questioned, "What's going on?"

Shiera hardly restrained herself from smiling.

"You should know", she said. "It's ever so ironic that Zhane was the one who supported you when I was evil"

Carlos looked at her totally flabbergasted.

"Ironic?"

"Using or characterized by irony", supplied DECA. "Irony, the apparent perversity of fate or circumstances; in literature, a hidden level of meaning in the text created by knowledge gaps"

Shiera was looking at Carlos expectantly. Everyone else – save Zhane – were looking at Carlos quizzically. Carlos stared at Shiera, and than, slowly, the cogs started ticking in his head. He turned the still non-responding Zhane so that his hand was over Zhane's throat, imitating the way Shiera held him in her last battle against them.

"Ashley, how exactly did Shiera hold him, do you remember?" he asked, speaking in a barely audible whisper.

It took Ashley a minute to understand what he was referring to.

"She was pressing him closer to her – his head was practically on her left shoulder…"

"Like this?" asked Carlos, his lips right by Zhane's ear.

"Yes"

Carlos's eyes shot wide as he let go of Zhane and fell back, slamming his head against the console but paying to heed to it as he laughed uncontrollably.


"I am not your child!"

"Yes, you are, princess" said Zordon softly. "Your brother is not dead, as you was told"

"I know he's not dead!" snapped Astronema. "I never believed that! But… Why would Ecliptor lie to me?"

"Because he feared that should you know the truth of your brother, you will turn away from Evil"

"And why would he fear that?"

"Because the Power Rangers would have never harmed your brother. Because, my child…"

"I am your brother"


Carlos was rolling on the floor, laughing hysterically. Zhane was still out of it, staring into his own thoughts.

"What the hell is going on?" demanded TJ.

Carlos put his hand on Shiera's leg, restraining her from talking. He forced down his laugher enough to breath out "Tracy!" before he lost control again.

"Tracy?" asked Cassie.

"What does Zhane's crush has to do with Andros's sister?" wondered Ashley.

"They're one and the same" answered Shiera.

"Karone was raised on Earth? But Darkonda kidnapped her, it doesn't make any sense!"

"You're right, it doesn't. You see, she wasn't raised on Earth, and Tracy isn't what she calls herself nowadays". Shiera glanced at her watch. "Though Andros should be changing her mind right about now"

"What do you mean?" asked TJ.

"Guys…" said Carlos, who finally regained control of himself. "Guys, the locket. Why would it mean anything to Shiera? Only if she's seen it before. Why would it make her go back to the Dark Fortress? Only if that's where she's seen it"

Ashley, TJ and Cassie stared at him. Then, something clicked in Cassie's head.

"You're joking!" she cried in disbelief. "She tried to kill us! She's Evil!"

"So was I, once" answered her Shiera. "And once, Astronema, princess of evil was Karone of KO-35"


"That can't be true!". Astronema's voice echoed from the metal walls. "You can't be my brother!"

"Look at my locket, and at yours. Look at me, Karone: I'm your brother"

"You can't be!"

"I am. Karone, please…" Andros stepped closer to her, reaching out his arm, his eyes pleading with her. "I've searched for you for so long, I swore to find you the day you Darkonda kidnapped you… Please, Karone, I miss you"

"No…" she whispered, but she did not move as he approached her.

"Our lockets are identical. I was sent this box; you should have one too". In his left hand was a box identical to the one that was left in Astronema's room.

She stared at him, transfixed.

"We were playing, remember? We were playing catch with the ball, levitating it between us. It got thrown sideways, and I went to bring it. I heard you scream, calling out my name. I run back, shouting for you, but it was too late. I only caught a glimpse of Darkonda, carrying you away"

"I remember the light through the leaves" she whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "I – I remember my brother calling for me, but – but I don't remember what he shouted. I remember being forced away, screaming and kicking…". She raised her hand to her temples, closing her eyes forcefully. "Oh, my head hurts to much!"

Carefully, Andros reached out and touched her shoulder. As she didn't move back from his, he pulled her slowly into his embrace, until she was wrapped firmly in his arms, sobbing on his shoulder.

"Oh, Andros…"

"Shush, Karone. It's going to be alright; I found you now"

"What have I done, brother?"

"It's going to be alright". He kissed her cheek. "We're together now"

"Indeed so" came a new voice.


Next time: "Zhane is so not going to forgive me"