***
I must have had the strangest look on my face when she said that. I know that when I'd finally turned all the way around and my expression went neutral, my cheek muscles were sore from contortion.
Well, I didn't make many expressions as an evil monarch. It was all part of being the picture of control, the essence of smooth sailing. I was surely no Divatox.
I suddenly smiled at the thought of that name.
Divatox. It's a good thing I came when I did. A damn good thing. That woman was the picture of incompetence... and the expressions she made.
In fact, the first time I saw Divatox, I remember the first thought that came to my mind. It was a rare remembrance of my former life, and it shocked the hell out of me. I was so shocked, in fact, that instead of simply thinking the words, I blurted them out right to her face.
"If you keep making that face, it's going to stay that way."
She really never liked me after that. Dark Specter thought it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard.
A smile was plastered to my face, as I shook my head. Boy, was I a little firecracker back then.
Quickly, the smile evaporated as I realized that I had just even further delayed my return to the megaship.. over thoughts! Thoughts!
Thoughts I wasn't even supposed to be having.
That weird girl had gotten to me, that was obvious. I flinched a bit as my muscles and my heart struggled with each other over whether I should turn around and talk to her again, or keep walking ahead and dismiss her as a total mental case.
Ultimately, I broke into a run. I think it was sheer luck that it was in the direction of the Megaship.
***
"We've got to find her!" Andros screamed, hysteria slowly creeping into him. "There's no telling what could have happened to her!"
Ashley had her hand on his chest as he yelled to the other rangers, looking behind her with a pained expression. "Andros, calm down!"
TJ got up calmly, as always. "She's been out all night?"
"Ever since 4am." Ashley said calmly.
"It's all my fault. My god... wh... why didn't we lock the doors?!" Andros groaned, clutching his forehead.
"They are locked." Carlos said.
"Why not from the INSIDE?!" Andros hissed.
"Andros, you have to snap out of it! You're acting totally neurotic." Cassie exclaimed. "Now look, I'm sure nothing happened."
"How sure are you?! Sure enough to risk her life?! I'm going looking for--" he began, turning around. He jumped in fright as he saw me standing in front of him. His eyes locked on me.
"Karone!" He exclaimed, relief washing over his face.
I frowned at the sight of all six of the rangers standing around, staring at me. "Um... what's everyone doing up so early?" I asked casually.
"Karone, you're bleeding! Oh my god, what happened?" Ashley asked, taking my hand.
"What?" I asked, touching my face. "Oh.. uh.. nothing. I just kinda.. fell down."
"Fell down? It looks like a scrape.." Andros whispered. "Did you get in a fight?!"
"Huh? What? No! I just... decided to go out for a walk, and I -and I tripped. It's no big deal."
"You were out for hours!" Ashley replied.
"No, I wasn't.." I said, my eyes darting from Andros to Ashley and to the other rangers who were standing behind them, looking concerned but not speaking. "Look.. it's okay. I'm fine. I just... wanted to see the city."
"At 4 in the morning?" Cassie finally spoke. "You should have asked me to go with you."
"Asked you to..."
"We're your friends. You didn't have to go alone."
I felt my eyes tearing up. It didn't make any sense anymore. Last night, of course it had made perfect sense.. it was that force, pulling me.
I had to go alone...
But what if one of them had gone with me?? Would I still be pulled? Or... would it have stopped? Would they have given me strength?
And if they had, would it have been real..? True? Forever? Or what if it was just a quick fix?
Andros put his hand on my shoulder. "Karone... are you sure you're okay?"
I looked into his face again, and he looked so tired. But even then, love shone through his eyes.
I shook my head. He loved me. That should have been enough.
But I felt a drop of the blood from my chin drip onto my neck, and I saw his eyes follow it.
And all of a sudden, I wondered.. maybe it wasn't the birds containing a secret. Maybe it was the very blood inside my body. Inside, it's hidden away, and no one can see it.. the closest that blood ever gets to the surface is inside a wispy blue vein.
Wispy like the truth of your childhood, it's there, and you can see it.. but you never really get the full gist of it.
But sometimes, something happens, and the skin is broken. The blood has no place else to go but out.
Is that like a secret?? Like the secret Andros is keeping from me?
I saw the others looking at me with concern.. and I felt myself breaking.
But no!! No.. no no no. They believed in me now.
I was good. I was good I was good I was good.
They couldn't know where I was.. they couldn't know my thoughts, or my desire, or the awe with which I beheld the Dark Fortress. They couldn't even know about that crazy girl, who...
NO.
"Yes... I'm just fine." I said evenly, even smiling. "I'm sorry I worried all of you. I'm really fine. I think I'll go wash my face."
"Do you want any help?" TJ asked me.
"No, thank you. I'm just fine." And then, for good measure, I even reached up and tugged a strand of Andros' hair, seemingly playfully.
I felt their confused eyes on my back, and I tried to walk lightly and happily. They didn't know about the tears that drizzled down my cheeks.
They didn't know about the vow I made then and there... to stop it now. To forget about it.
Andros came into my room the next day, and sat down on the bed next to me.
"We're going back to KO-35 tomorrow."
I swear. He really said it.
***
I must have had the strangest look on my face when she said that. I know that when I'd finally turned all the way around and my expression went neutral, my cheek muscles were sore from contortion.
Well, I didn't make many expressions as an evil monarch. It was all part of being the picture of control, the essence of smooth sailing. I was surely no Divatox.
I suddenly smiled at the thought of that name.
Divatox. It's a good thing I came when I did. A damn good thing. That woman was the picture of incompetence... and the expressions she made.
In fact, the first time I saw Divatox, I remember the first thought that came to my mind. It was a rare remembrance of my former life, and it shocked the hell out of me. I was so shocked, in fact, that instead of simply thinking the words, I blurted them out right to her face.
"If you keep making that face, it's going to stay that way."
She really never liked me after that. Dark Specter thought it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard.
A smile was plastered to my face, as I shook my head. Boy, was I a little firecracker back then.
Quickly, the smile evaporated as I realized that I had just even further delayed my return to the megaship.. over thoughts! Thoughts!
Thoughts I wasn't even supposed to be having.
That weird girl had gotten to me, that was obvious. I flinched a bit as my muscles and my heart struggled with each other over whether I should turn around and talk to her again, or keep walking ahead and dismiss her as a total mental case.
Ultimately, I broke into a run. I think it was sheer luck that it was in the direction of the Megaship.
***
"We've got to find her!" Andros screamed, hysteria slowly creeping into him. "There's no telling what could have happened to her!"
Ashley had her hand on his chest as he yelled to the other rangers, looking behind her with a pained expression. "Andros, calm down!"
TJ got up calmly, as always. "She's been out all night?"
"Ever since 4am." Ashley said calmly.
"It's all my fault. My god... wh... why didn't we lock the doors?!" Andros groaned, clutching his forehead.
"They are locked." Carlos said.
"Why not from the INSIDE?!" Andros hissed.
"Andros, you have to snap out of it! You're acting totally neurotic." Cassie exclaimed. "Now look, I'm sure nothing happened."
"How sure are you?! Sure enough to risk her life?! I'm going looking for--" he began, turning around. He jumped in fright as he saw me standing in front of him. His eyes locked on me.
"Karone!" He exclaimed, relief washing over his face.
I frowned at the sight of all six of the rangers standing around, staring at me. "Um... what's everyone doing up so early?" I asked casually.
"Karone, you're bleeding! Oh my god, what happened?" Ashley asked, taking my hand.
"What?" I asked, touching my face. "Oh.. uh.. nothing. I just kinda.. fell down."
"Fell down? It looks like a scrape.." Andros whispered. "Did you get in a fight?!"
"Huh? What? No! I just... decided to go out for a walk, and I -and I tripped. It's no big deal."
"You were out for hours!" Ashley replied.
"No, I wasn't.." I said, my eyes darting from Andros to Ashley and to the other rangers who were standing behind them, looking concerned but not speaking. "Look.. it's okay. I'm fine. I just... wanted to see the city."
"At 4 in the morning?" Cassie finally spoke. "You should have asked me to go with you."
"Asked you to..."
"We're your friends. You didn't have to go alone."
I felt my eyes tearing up. It didn't make any sense anymore. Last night, of course it had made perfect sense.. it was that force, pulling me.
I had to go alone...
But what if one of them had gone with me?? Would I still be pulled? Or... would it have stopped? Would they have given me strength?
And if they had, would it have been real..? True? Forever? Or what if it was just a quick fix?
Andros put his hand on my shoulder. "Karone... are you sure you're okay?"
I looked into his face again, and he looked so tired. But even then, love shone through his eyes.
I shook my head. He loved me. That should have been enough.
But I felt a drop of the blood from my chin drip onto my neck, and I saw his eyes follow it.
And all of a sudden, I wondered.. maybe it wasn't the birds containing a secret. Maybe it was the very blood inside my body. Inside, it's hidden away, and no one can see it.. the closest that blood ever gets to the surface is inside a wispy blue vein.
Wispy like the truth of your childhood, it's there, and you can see it.. but you never really get the full gist of it.
But sometimes, something happens, and the skin is broken. The blood has no place else to go but out.
Is that like a secret?? Like the secret Andros is keeping from me?
I saw the others looking at me with concern.. and I felt myself breaking.
But no!! No.. no no no. They believed in me now.
I was good. I was good I was good I was good.
They couldn't know where I was.. they couldn't know my thoughts, or my desire, or the awe with which I beheld the Dark Fortress. They couldn't even know about that crazy girl, who...
NO.
"Yes... I'm just fine." I said evenly, even smiling. "I'm sorry I worried all of you. I'm really fine. I think I'll go wash my face."
"Do you want any help?" TJ asked me.
"No, thank you. I'm just fine." And then, for good measure, I even reached up and tugged a strand of Andros' hair, seemingly playfully.
I felt their confused eyes on my back, and I tried to walk lightly and happily. They didn't know about the tears that drizzled down my cheeks.
They didn't know about the vow I made then and there... to stop it now. To forget about it.
Andros came into my room the next day, and sat down on the bed next to me.
"We're going back to KO-35 tomorrow."
I swear. He really said it.
***