Chapter 2: Present

The twins were seventeen now and were two great teens. Andreas who was twenty-one had gotten married to his longtime girlfriend, Kellan. Astra who was nineteen had just gotten engaged. Not only that, nine months after Andros's kidnapping, Ashley gave birth to her and Andros's very last two children, Apollo and Solana. Both twins were ten and Ashley's heart broke everyday, because her son looked just like Andros. It came to the point sometimes that Leo and Karone would come over often to help her take care of all six kids. Until Andreas and Astra moved out it got easier. It got much easier when Artemis and Selena started their Ranger training. So, now Ashley was raising her two children by herself.

Ashley sat on the couch in the living room when she saw her and Andros's wedding picture sitting on the table. Tears fell down her face and she placed her hands over her face and cried. Today was especially hard for Ashley Karovan, because twenty-seven years ago from that day, they were married. For the past ten years, Ashley would send her kids off to either friends or Leo and Karone. They never asked why, because they all knew why. Ashley lied down on the couch and she curled up in a ball while she cried.

(Outside the City)

Selena Karovan hit the ground and she rolled away when Artemis Karovan went to hit her with his Spiral Saber. "STAR SLINGER!" She shouted. She pulled out her Star Slinger and shot at her brother. Artemis did several back flips with every blast she shot at him. By the last blast, he stopped and held his Spiral Saber up, sending the blast back at his sister. Selena gasped and jumped out of the way. Selena sat up and glared at Artemis. "You could've taken my head off," she snapped.

"Hey, you shouldn't be talking," Artemis answered.

He walked over and helped her stand up. "Let's head back to the house," he commented. Selena gasped and grabbed her brother's wrist.

"Are you crazy!" She asked.

"What?" He asked.

Selena crossed her arms over her chest. "Artemis, what's the date?" She asked. Artemis thought for a moment.

"Oh!" He gasped when it hit him.

"You know that mom likes to be alone by this time."

"Right."

Artemis sat down and de-morphed. "You know what we should do?" He asked. Selena sat across from him and de-morphed too.

"Find dad like we promised?" She asked.

Artemis rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah," he replied. Selena nodded and ran her fingers through her now elbow-length lightly blonde streaked hair.

"We have to tell Tykwa," she reminded.

"Right," he agreed.

He stood up and they went back to the base.

Tykwa, who had taken the late Kinwon's place, was looking over some status reports when Artemis and Selena came in. "Tykwa," Artemis called. Tykwa looked up.

"Yes?" She asked.

They stood at attention. "Tykwa, permission to take the Megaship Mark II?" Selena asked. Tykwa stared at the children of one of her good friend's.

"Why do you want to take the Megaship?" She asked.

"We have a mission to take, ma'am. We have a promise to keep to our mother to find General Andros of KO-35," Artemis replied.

They stayed at attention as they waited for her answer. "You realize that we can't find any trace of your father?" Tykwa asked.

"Yes, ma'am, but it is our duty to keep our promise and to bring father home," Selena replied.

"How do you know your father's still alive?" Tykwa asked.

"We can still feel his telekinetic connection, it is somehow blocked," Artemis replied.

Tykwa knew that Artemis and Selena were just as stubborn as their father. "Permission granted," she informed. The twins saluted.

"Thank you, ma'am," Selena stated.

They turned and went into the hanger to get on the Megaship.

Selena was working on the destroyed Alpha when they came on the Megaship. She looked up when Artemis came in. "How's it going?" He asked. Selena sat back with a sigh.

"They jut ripped the wires straight out of his back," she replied.

She started to put the wires back together. She gasped and stepped back when the lights on his back lit up. "You did it, Lena," Artemis told her. Selena looked back into the robot's back and she gasped.

"Oh, no!" She gasped.

"What, what's wrong?" He asked.

"His memory chip is gone."

"What?"

He looked at the empty space in Alpha's back. "He must've seen something they didn't want him to see," he commented.

"Looks like it," she agreed.

Selena rubbed the back of her neck. "Artemis…" she trailed off.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"What if they did something to dad?"

Artemis sighed and shook his head. "I don't know," he replied. Selena bit her lip and tears fell down her face.

"It's been ten years, Artemis. Couldn't he escape during those ten years?" She asked.

"They could've kept him locked up to where he can't escape."

Selena nodded and she wiped her tears away. "I miss him. I miss him so much," she told him. Artemis walked over and hugged her tight.

"I miss him too," he answered.

(KO-35)

Karone came into the house and she found Ashley asleep on the couch. "Leo, look," she whispered. Leo had carried Apollo and Solana upstairs when Karone called for him. Leo came down the stairs and he saw Ashley asleep on the couch with her and Andros's wedding picture pressed against her chest.

"I'll get her again," he informed.

He gently took the picture from her arms and handed it to Karone. Karone set it back on the coffee table and watched her husband carry Ashley to her room.

Leo set Ashley on the bed and watched as she unconsciously pulled Andros's pillow up to her chest. He let out a heavy sigh as he turned and left the room.