Disclaimer: Not mine, please don't sue me, I have no money anyway.

Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: If you find Deca, you better let me meet her. : P But I wasn't planning on putting it in the plot. I'm starting to confuse myself.

Juzblue: I like Ravenna too. Don't worry, she'll show up a lot.

Jenny: Calm down, it's only Tuesday. I got out of school early, so I decided to put up another chapter just for YOU. : P I remember very well that I said that they were alive. But I can't tell you who they are, even though the first twist was supposed to be fairly predictable. The second one isn't. And about your other review : Ashley wasn't that close to dying. She just inhaled a little bit of water. And got choked a few times . . . Maybe I should rethink my wording in the future . . .

GreenDayfan1: Where would the fun be in Andros winning: P

A/N: I got out of school a few hours early today, so I had time to write. Yay, but don't expect any more until this weekend. Don't worry, I made sure it didn't end with a cliffhanger . . . I should have made it end wiith a cliffhanger. : P

Chapter 13: Life Is Rarely Simple

The Light Room

Andros hadn't spoken since Ravenna had told him that his brother and sister were still alive. He was sitting numbly on the floor of the Light Room. If it hadn't been for Zhane, he would have still been sitting in one of the taverns down on Onyx. But as Zhane had pointed out, anyone suicidal enough to double cross Darkonda was just as likely to turn on them, and it was best to get the hell out of there.

"Ash?" he called, leaning back against the wall, and closing his eyes.

"You okay?" Ashley responded immediately.

"Would you mind coming down to the Light Room?" he asked. "I need you, Ash."

"Of course I'll come," Ashley said, and Andros sighed. At least he wouldn't be alone now.

"What's wrong?" Ashley asked two minutes later as she entered. "Are you okay?"

She sat down next to him, and Andros looked at her, unable to speak for several minutes. Ashley waited patiently, her golden aura shimmering against his dark red glow.

"They're alive," he finally managed to say. "Amara and Jadon."

"Alive?" Ashley repeated. Andros nodded, and looked at her with lost eyes.

"I've thought that they were dead for thirteen years," he muttered. "I . . . I should have found them! I shouldn't have stopped looking!"

"Andros," Ashley said gently. "It's not your fault. You were six years old. There was nothing that you could have done."

"Stop saying that!" Andros cried furiously. "All everyone does is tell me that it's not my fault. Don't you start too!"

"I"m sorry," Ashley said quickly, alarmed by the anger in his voice. "I'll stop saying it. Andros-"

When she said his name, his head snapped up, and for several long seconds, he glared into her eyes. Ashley sat there, calmly meeting his gaze, but her heart was pounding. The anger melted from Andros' face, and was replaced by bitterness. He buried his face in his hands, drawing his knees up to his chin. Ashley cautiously wrapped her arms around him. He tensed, and then almost collapsed against her.

"Everyone blamed me, Ash," he whispered. "They all told me that they knew it wasn't my fault, but they blamed me. I could see it in their eyes."

"How was it your fault?" Ashley demanded.

"I'm supposed to be perfect," Andros said bitterly. "I'm the red ranger. I'm supposed to be a leader, and I hate it!"

"We follow you because you're a strong leader," Ashley said firmly.

"I'm so afraid that I'll kill you someday," Andros whispered. "Any of you. I couldn't live with myself if I let that happen."

"Andros, sit up," Ashley said. "Look at me."

Andros obeyed slowly.

"Now listen," Ashley said firmly. "I trust you with my life. We all do, and don't you dare start doubting yourself. We'd fall apart without you. And you haven't killed anyone. Stop blaming yourself, and stop feeling sorry for yourself."

Andros stared at her blankly for several minutes, unsure of how to react. Suddenly, he started laughing, and pulled Ashley into a tight embrace.

"I needed that," he said, smiling in spite of himself. "I love you so much."

"I love you, Andros," Ashley said seriously. "Please, stop doing this to yourself. I hate seeing you like this."

Andros loosened his hold on her, and Ashley rested her head against his shoulder.

"So what happened?"

"Met a bounty hunter with a death wish," Andros said. "Her name's Ravenna. She's new, but everyone says that she's one of the best. Darkonda gave her the information, and she turned right around and sold it to me. At a halfway decent price, too."

"Why Darkonda?"

Andros sighed heavily, and his voice was tinged with sadness. "Darkonda was the one that took Karone."

"So she is Astronema?" Ashley asked sympathetically, taking his hand.

Andros swallowed and nodded. "I don't know what to do, Ash," he said. "I can't fight her, but she won't listen."

"You'll get through to her," Ashley said softly, squeezing his hand comfortingly. "I know that you will."

"Thanks, Ash," Andros sighed. "Do you really believe that?"

"Yes," Ashley said firmly. "And if you want Karone back, you need to believe it too."

She yawned suddenly, and Andros realized just how long she'd been keeping him company.

"Go to bed," he said. "I'll be fine here alone."

Ashley looked at him and smiled.

"I have a better idea," she said. "Wait here."

Andros looked at her, mystified, but she'd already jumped up. She left the room, and returned nearly ten minutes later, her arms full of blankets. She tossed him his pillow.

"I thought it'd be nice to sleep here," she said. "Is that okay with you?"

"Of course it is," Andros said, helping her spead blankets on the floor to create a surface soft enough to sleep on. Andros lay down with his back against the wall, and Ashley nestled her head against his chest, relaxing instantly.

Andros tilted her chin up just enough to brush his lips over hers. "I love you, Ash," he whispered into her ear. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Ashley said sleepily, her eyes already closed.

Andros wrapped his arms around her waist, and Ashley fell asleep instantly. Andros closed his eyes, wondering how he'd ever managed to sleep without her in his arms. As he fell asleep, he could see a faint golden glow even behind his closed eyes.

Elsewhere

Ravenna sat cross-legged on her bed, pouring over the information that Darkonda had handed her hours before. So far as she had been able to gather, Darkonda had finally managed to track Amara and Jadon to Earth, but then he had lost them.

"He can trail them through the entire universe," she said out loud. "But he loses them on a planet with only five billion people. How?"

She turned and glanced over her shoulder. "Any suggestions?"

"Perhaps he pinpointed Earth only by process of elimination," an unususally monotonous female voice answered. "If he did so, he would have to search every person individually, because he had never picked up their trail to begin with."

Ravenna sighed. "If that's true, then I'm wasting my time. What else?"

"It is much more probable that Darkonda did indeed track Amara and Jadon to Earth, and then he lost them."

Ravenna rolled her eyes. "I know that," she said, keeping the exasperation in her voice to a minimum. "But how is it possible that he lost them?"

She paused. "Wait," she said. "Karovans have a telepathic energy that Terrans don't, right?"

"That is correct."

"So if Darkonda wanted to find Amara and Jadon, he'd just have to search for that energy?"

"That is correct."

"Would they know that he was looking for him?"

"I cannot say."

"Are there ways to block telepathy?" Ravenna asked, considering the possibilities.

"There are, but are either extremely obvious, such as wearing a metal device around the head, or extremely riskly, involving skilled manipulations of the mind."

There was a long pause, and Ravenna smiled.

"What are you not telling me?" Ravenna asked patiently. "You always have an opinion."

The answer seemed very hesitant. "Telepathy can be used to alter memory. Karovans used it rarely, and only in extreme cases."

Ravenna raised an eyebrow. "So one of them made Darkonda forget their . . . energy? Their aura?"

"It is possible. However, telepathic manipulation of memory is also extremely hazardous."

"So you think that they're with someone who knows what they're doing?" Ravenna asked. "Another telepath?"

"It is much more likely, especially if you are assuming that they have hid their telepathy during their years on Earth."

"Why can't life ever be simple?" Ravenna asked, picking up yet another small disc of information and inserting it into a reader device.

"I have found that life is rarely ever simple."

Ravenna rolled her eyes. "This coming from someone who isn't even alive."

"Do you wish for my assistence or not?"

"All right, I take it back," Ravenna said, sighing.

This was going to be a long night.

A/N: Hope you liked it. : P