Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers. So don't try to buy them from me. Please don't get all offended because I mocked your favorite Ranger. I try to mock them all. Besides, it's just for fun. I really do enjoy the show :). 'Hi" to all from AFPR…especially my fellow Psychos. Please let me know if I make any errors. I have no difficulty with receiving constructive criticism.
If you haven't done so, please read the first fifty stories in "When Rangers Meet." Thanks.
This is story twenty-three. Yeah, I know I picked on Zhane more that Karone. That's just how the story worked out. I do try to balance things out, but sometimes I will end up making fun of one character more than the other. It has nothing to do with whether I like one character more than the other (Zhane's my favorite PRIS character). I just want to mention that in case anyone ever decided to complain about me being unfair to certain characters. Ok, I'll shut up so you can read.
Zhane and Karone
By
Eileen (Psycho Tangerine)
"Where have you been?"
"What?" asked Karone as she dropped her luggage just inside the door. "Oh, Zhane, be a sweetie and carry these to the bedroom. I've had a long trip."
"I'll bet you have," grumbled Zhane who hadn't budged from the wall he was leaning against. "Especially considering you were away for almost six months." He looked at her suspiciously. "So who was it?"
"Who was what?" Karone asked distractedly as she searched in her purse. "Oh, Zhane, be a darling and pay the cab driver for me. I owe him two hundred and seventy dollars."
"No until you…" HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK… "Oh, all right!" shouted Zhane as he headed out the door. "Keep your shirt on! I'm coming." Although he was learning a lot about the strange ways Earth humans spoke, Zhane still wasn't sure why the cab driver would want to take his clothing off anyway. He also couldn't understand how a two-mile trip from the airport could cost so much. Almost a year of living on Earth and he was already considering a move to Onyx. From what he heard, condominiums were going dirt-cheap there.
"Now," said the former Silver Ranger as he stepped back into the house, "would you care to explain where you have been all this time? I mean I just woke up one morning and you were gone. And all I got was this stupid note." He held out an old worn out note on which all of the 'Tommy's' had been whited out and replaced with 'Zhanes.' What were you doing in Florida anyway? And who's Coach Schmidt? And who is this 'someone else' you've met? And since when did you start calling yourself 'Kimberly'? Is this yet another side of you I don't know anything about?" In anger, he shredded the letter in front of her.
"Are you nuts?" cried Karone as she tried to rescue the pieces. "That letter cost me almost six thousand dollars on Ebay."
"Like I care," grumbled Zhane. "Why would you even give me that thing? It makes no sense."
"Oh, that." Karone waved her hand dismissively. "Andros called me about some secret mission on Terra Venture. He said that my help was needed to recover their Pink Ranger's Quasar Saber after she got killed. So, after learning it was up for auction, I went to make a bid on it. But I couldn't find it anywhere on Ebay. So, then my contacts cleared things up for me a bit. I went to Onyx, dressed as Astronema of course since no one would respect dorky little Karone…"
"Oh drop it, already," snapped Zhane who was growing even more impatient. "No one could get on Terra Venture after it went into Space."
Karone snickered. "Oh, really? The other Space Rangers had no problem going there to help them defeat the Psycho Rangers."
Zhane's face broke out into a pout. "Why'd you have to remind me? Those losers never even bothered to ask me to come along. Just because I'm smarter and better looking and..."
Karone quickly interrupted her blathering husband. "And how did Trakeenah and those other space villains manage to go there and leave all the time?"
Zhane ignored this piece of logic. "And Rangers never die. They may get sick for a while..." he began to seethe, "...and have to stay in some frozen coffin-thingy for two damn years, while their best friend gallivants around the galaxy probably hunting for babes and having wild parties and visiting all the coolest spots instead of hunting for a cure so that I, I mean they, can join in the fun because he's jealous that I, I mean they are just better looking and stronger and..."
"Uh, Zhane," interrupted Karone. "Did you forget who you're even talking about? The last time Andros even had a party was when our mom had a get together for his fifth birthday. Besides, when are you going to take my luggage upstairs?"
"Oh, I'll take it upstairs all right." Zhane grabbed a pink bag, unzipped it, and shook the contents on the floor. Then he grabbed the makeup and beauty items off the floor and began tossing them up and over the banister.
"Hey!" cried Karone. "Stop that! Some of that stuff is homemade Mirinoi cosmetics. Leo gave them to me and I don't want to have to tell him..."
"LEO!" hollered Zhane. "Is that who you left me for? Some creep named Leo?" He grabbed the next bag and dumped Karone's undergarments onto the floor. "So tell me," he threatened as he held up a pink bra, "where did you find him? Some backwater tavern you reprobates like to hang out in?"
Karone grabbed her bra and kicked Zhane at the same time. "No one, but no one touches my things but ME! Do it again, and I'll pull my wrath staff out just to deal with you." She glared and Zhane flinched at the reminder that she had once been Astronema.
"Oh, ok," Zhane said shakily as his backed off. "No need to do that. It's just that I missed you so much. You don't know what it was like having Andros come over with Ashley almost every day and having him begin making out with her as soon as he knew I was watching. He's still jealous that I may steal her away."
"I missed you too, honey." Karone went to give Zhane a hug. "I would've been back the next day. But they asked me to be the Pink Galaxy Ranger. I got to meet so many nice people, Maya, Kai, Damon, Mike, Leo..."
Zhane shoved Karone furiously away. "Like anyone with any common sense would make YOU a Ranger! So, were they all better than me?" With that, he grabbed the undergarments and began tossing them up and over the banister.
Karone whipped her old wrath staff out of its space pocket. "Oh, Zhane," she began sweetly just before zapping him where it would hurt the most.