Aww, that's so cute, everyone thinks they know what's going on...
Ashley HammondAstro Yellow: You only think you know... Just kidding, you totally do.
jenny: I'm so glad you like the name, it was the best I could come up with and I thought it sounded a bit too much like the name of that girl Billy ended up with.
Mz. Daydream: Yup, Ashley instead of Karone. I thought it sounded cool and I'm glad you thought that too.
Phantom Rogue: Yes, I liked the twist too. I'm just kind of sad I had to write it, I would have liked to read someone else's version of it.
C.C.C.: Here, I updated so now you don't have to wait.
Author's Note: This was originally two chapters, but they were both so short I combined them so you wouldn't have to wait another day to have anything actually happen. Incidentally, that means that a lot happens in this chapter, so brace yourselves. Plus, I'm not the best at writing action, so don't expect any great battle scenes.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, don't you understand? Nothing!
Be Careful What You Wish For…
Chapter 3 - Memory
Andros was becoming very confused. Reading through his younger self's records was like reading Supreme Court Case verdicts. He eventually decided to wait a few weeks, until he was in a better mental state, to try reading them again. They hadn't helped much so far anyway, all they had said was that some monster had kidnapped Karone. It was this part of the story that made Andros wonder if he hadn't just been jealous of all the attention Karone was getting and had made up a story about her disappearing to make himself feel better. With that thought Andros decided to leave the message alone, it probably wouldn't help anyway.
It was an average morning when the conversation once again approached the missing Ashley.
"She's definitely not on Earth?" Carlos asked for the hundredth time.
"No," Jeff sighed, "but I think Zordon may have had an idea of where she was. When I asked him he always said that he wasn't sure."
"Wasn't sure of what?" T.J. asked.
"He'd never say, just 'I'm not sure.'"
"That's weird," Cassie said, "even for Zordon."
"Andros!" DECA said suddenly and with more emotion that one would have expected. "Zhane's heart has stopped."
"What!" the Red and Yellow Rangers cried. Both were up and running before any of the others had time to ask who Zhane was or why his heart was being monitored.
When the Rangers, all of them, finally reached the engine room they were shocked to find a Ranger in a silver suit stepping out from the wall.
"I told you, you should have put a camera in the stasis room," Karone said happily as she ran to give the newest Ranger a hug.
"Not that I don't love the attention," the man who was apparently Zhane said, "but what's going on?"
It took a while to explain everything that had happened in the past two years but eventually Zhane was up to date, and more than willing to explore the strange concept of French fries.
After everyone had gone to sleep that night Andros snuck into the cryochamber. "Are you ready DECA?"
"Yes Andros," DECA said, "but even if it works and you survive unscathed, you will be disoriented for some time afterward."
"I'm willing to take the risks DECA, just tell me what to do."
The Rangers were very lucky that Zhane had woken up when he did since their next battle was attended by Celestia. The former Turbo Rangers, along with Phantom and Infinity, had all met Celestia when she first attacked Earth; she had decided to come down to introduce them to their future leader. She had apparently decided that it was time to meet the alien Rangers as well.
"So, these are the Astro Rangers," Celestia said. "You don't look like a challenge at all."
"Looks can be deceiving," Karone said.
"Really? Why don't you prove it?" That was apparently the signal since her forces charged forward as soon as the words left her mouth.
"Careful guys," T.J. yelled over the din, "she wouldn't have come unless she was looking for some fun!"
"It's nice to know I wasn't defeated by complete morons," Celestia said as she brought her sword down towards the Blue Ranger's head. T.J. dodged and met her with an attack of his own.
The other Rangers leapt into the fray, all except Andros. He stood on the sidelines, watching the exchange between T.J. and Celestia.
"Andros!" Karone called, stopping a Quatron from annihilating her brother. "Andros! What's wrong?"
"She's- she's not supposed to be fighting us."
"Well, she's doing a good job of it anyway! Come on! We need your help!"
"He never moved," Karone said, "he just kept staring at her." She and the others were eating dinner and reviewing their latest battle.
"Maybe she did something to him," Jeff suggested.
"Yeah," Carlos said, "like slipped him a love potion."
"When would she have done that?" Zhane asked. "He's always on the ship and if she could breech our defenses, I doubt it'd be to make Andros fall in love with her."
"No one ever said he was in love with her," Karone growled.
"Then why was he looking at her liked that?" Justin asked.
"Like what?" Karone demanded, getting to her feet. "He was wearing a helmet, none of us could see how he was looking at her. For all we know, he's-"
"For all we know," Cassie said gently, placing a hand on Karone's shoulder, "he's just under a lot of stress and he'll be back to his old, grumpy self in a few days."
A few days later Andros got the chance to redeem himself. Celestia had decided to accompany her latest monster to Earth herself and was having a fine time fighting the Rangers.
"You're not going to win," Red Ranger said, meeting her sword with his own saber.
"Really? I was about to say the same to you," Celestia said just as even more of her troops arrived.
"One day Dark Specter will fall, and where will that leave you?" Andros asked as he slashed at her stomach.
She dodged. "On his throne."
Andros just managed to evade a blow at his ankle. "Do you really want that--to rule such an empire?"
"Of course I do. I am evil." Their battle had stopped for the moment, both parties searching for a reason to continue fighting.
Karone had been fighting Quatrons a few feet away and saw her brother battling their main enemy alone. She had quickly dispatched two foot soldiers and ran over to strike Celestia's back.
Andros saw all this over his enemy's shoulder and quickly grabbed Celestia, pulling her down. He ended up with her in his arms, leaning over her as if they had been dancing and he had just dipped her. Before Karone could notice her brother's apparent betrayal she was distracted by a very angry Ecliptor.
"You don't have to do this," Andros almost pleaded.
"Yes, I do," Celestia said sadly.
Andros returned the princess of evil to her feet then turned to help his friends. The Red Ranger and Celestia avoided each other for the remainder of the battle, and each was strangely quiet when they returned to their ships.