Chapter 17: Karone vs. Zafina

Karone and Zhane were walking around Mariner Bay enjoying the sites. Andros and Ashley were back on the Aqua-Base trying to figure out how to defeat Zafina. Zhane wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smiled at her. "You seem to have a lot on your mind," he commented. Karone smiled at him before answering.

"I was just thinking about Andros and Ashley, that's all," she stated.

Zhane looked at her confused. "It's just that, they're spending their first year of marriage fighting. This isn't what I wanted for them. I didn't want Zafina to come back and destroy our plans," she insisted.

"I know that. It isn't your fault either, Karone. Evil just keeps finding us," he stated.

Karone nodded with a sad sigh. Just then, a blast came out of nowhere and they looked up to see Zafina appear. "Well, I guess I'm going to ruin your plans some more," she snapped. Karone gasped when Zhane was grabbed by machine soldiers.

"ZHANE!" She yelled.

Zafina laughed as Karone was grabbed and was forced to stand in front of her. "Well, I guess this just means you and me. Since your brother has denied my heart and you denied taking your rightful place by my side," she sneered.

"Why would I betray my family? Why should Andros betray his wife?" Karone snapped.

"Ashley doesn't deserve a man like Andros," Zafina replied.

"He deserves Ashley. He doesn't deserve you," Karone snapped.

Zafina back-handed Karone with a sneer. "If you're so brave, come fight me," Zafina snapped. Karone glared at her.

"No," Karone hissed.

She looked over to see a sword by Zhane's throat. "If you don't fight, with a snap of my fingers my machine soldiers will slit his throat," Zafina threatened. Karone closed her eyes as the machine soldiers let her go. "Fight me," she ordered. Karone had her morpher ready.

"GO GALACTIC!" She yelled.

Zhane watched as his fiancé got ready to fight Zafina on her own. Karone circled Zafina and the evil witch attacked her first. Karone flipped over her head and landed behind her. Zafina glared at her and raised her hand. Karone gasped when black energy left her hand and made her fly across the street. "KARONE!" Zhane yelled. Karone held her side and stood up.

"It's going to take more than that to defeat me," Karone snapped.

Zafina glared at her and came at her with her staff. Karone whipped out her saber and started battling her with it. Zafina had Karone pinned down to the ground, but Karone was able to kick her away. She jumped back onto her feet and cried out when she was hit in the back. "KARONE!" Zhane called out again. He was fighting against the machine soldiers, but they were too strong. Karone was being beaten terribly. She hit the side of a building and hit the ground. She de-morphed and fell unconscious. Zafina laughed as she walked over to the beaten girl. She was about to kill Karone when a blast came out of nowhere.

"HANG ON, KARONE!" Andros yelled.

He jumped off his bike and ran to his sister. Ashley freed Zhane and Zafina disappeared. Zhane ran over and took his fiancé into his arms. "Karone," he murmured.

"Come on, we have to get her back to the Aqua-Base," Andros insisted.

Zhane picked her up and they got her back to the Aqua-Base. Ms. Fairweather got Karone into the infirmary so they could get her injuries taken care of. Zhane stayed by his fiancé's side. He touched her bruised face with a sad sigh. "Karone," he whispered. She opened her eyes and looked around.

"Zhane?" She asked.

"Yeah," he replied.

"What happened?"

"Zafina challenged you in a fight. You got knocked around like a rag doll."

Karone tried to sit up, but Zhane stopped her. "You need to rest," he insisted. She sighed and fell back against her pillows. She looked over to see Ryan standing there.

"Ryan, what's going on?" She asked.

The young man walked over and stood beside her bed. "I just came to tell you that I have joined the team," he replied.

"Oh, that's great. You deserve to be on the team," Karone assured him.

"I just hope I don't let you guys down," he insisted.

"You won't, Ryan."

He then looked over at Zhane. "Well, I better get to Rescue Ops, apparently they want everyone to see me get my Lightspeed Rescue jacket," he chuckled. Karone then pushed Zhane towards the door.

"You go too. I don't need you babying me," she laughed.

She watched them leave and fell into a deep sleep.

Zafina watched her with a glare. "If only her brother didn't get there. I would've been able to turn her back to our side," she hissed. Vypra stood behind her friend.

"Don't worry, we'll have them back on our side," Vypra assured her.

"I hope so, Vypra, we need those two back on our teams," she hissed.

She slammed her staff to the floor and looked around at Loki, Diabolico, Vypra, Jinxer, and little Impus. She walked over to the sleeping creature with a smile. "Soon, little Impus, your mother will return and we shall work together as one to get Mariner Bay," she murmured. She then looked over towards Diabolico. "What do you think we should do with the Titanium Ranger traitor?" She asked.

"Don't you worry about that, my princess. I have the perfect plan for the Titanium Ranger," he assured her.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Come with me and I shall show you."

They all watched as Diabolico put a cursed Cobra Tattoo on Ryan's back. "Every time you morph the cobra will move up your back until it reaches your neck," he told Ryan. They all laughed as the Titanium Ranger woke up and looked at his back to find the Cobra Tattoo.

"Wonderful, Diabolico," Zafina praised.

Diabolico nodded to her and they all waited for the perfect moment to strike the rangers.