Chapter 10: Another Finding

Ashley was fast asleep with her head on Andros's chest while he was struggling with a nightmare about Karone's kidnapping. "KARONE!" Andros shouted. Ashley sat up when she heard him shout.

"Hey, hey, you okay?" She asked.

She placed her hand on his shoulder to calm him down when he sat up. "I'm okay, Ash," he assured her.

"You sure?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied.

Ashley watched as Andros got out of bed and walked over to the dresser to pick up the picture of Karone. "You had a dream about her kidnapping again…didn't you?" She asked. Andros set the picture down and looked over at her.

"How did you know?" He asked.

He walked over and sat next to her on the bed. "Well for starters for calling out her name when you woke up. Usually after you have a nightmare about Karone's kidnapping you always pick her picture up," she replied. Andros lied back on the bed.

"I can't stop thinking about what Darkonda had said, Ash. I mean…" he trailed off.

Ashley propped herself up on her arm and ran her fingers through his hair. "Andros…you know that Darkonda won't tell you where Karone is. I know he's the one that kidnapped her, but what makes you think he'll talk?" She asked. Andros sighed.

"I don't know. I need to find her, Ash. I have to find her," he insisted.

"I know. Remember, I was the first person you ran to after her kidnapping."

Andros nodded and closed his eyes.

(Flashback)

"ADORA! ADORA!" Andros shouted. Adora was playing with one of neighbors' kids when Andros ran up to her.

"Andros…what's wrong?" She asked.

She could see the tears falling down her best friend's face. "Karone's gone! Someone took her!" He exclaimed. Adora stood up from the ground.

"Did you get a good look at him?" She asked.

Andros shook his head. "I couldn't see, I was getting our telekinesis ball," he replied with a sob. Adora walked over and hugged him. "My sister's gone," he sobbed. Adora then started to cry with him.

(End Flashback)

Andros opened his eyes again and let out a sigh. "Andros…I know during the past ten years you blamed yourself for what happened to Karone. It was never your fault. You were only a child," she insisted.

"I should have done something. She's my sister," he answered.

"You were only a boy."

Andros stood up. "That's no excuse, Ash. My sister's somewhere out there and the creature that took her won't tell me where she is," he snapped. Ashley stood up.

"Andros, Darkonda's a monster, what makes you think that he'll even change his mind about telling you where she is?" She asked.

Andros let out a frustrated sigh. "I want my sister back, Ashley. Next to wanting to have you back, all I want is my sister," he answered. Ashley walked over and placed her hands on his face.

"I know. I know that you miss her and that you'll do anything to get her back. But it won't do Karone any good if you got yourself killed in the process. I wouldn't be able to live with that," she told him.

Andros placed his hands over hers. "We will find Karone together. I will help you find her," she assured him. Andros nodded and let out a sigh. Just then, DECA's alarm went off.

"What's going on, DECA?" He asked.

"A monster is attacking Angel Grove," DECA informed.

Andros and Ashley pulled on their jackets and boots before running to fight the monster on Earth.

Ashley was fighting the quantrons when she saw Andros going after Darkonda. "ANDROS!" She shouted. She then looked at her friends before calling for her galaxy glider. "GALAXY GLIDER HANG TEN!" She shouted. Ashley jumped onto galaxy glider and went after them.

When she arrived, she saw Andros and Darkonda fighting it out. "I have a little proposition for you," Darkonda informed.

"I'm listening," Andros answered.

"If you defeat me, I'll tell you where your sister is. If you lose…" Andros cut him off.

"I don't make deals, Darkonda," Andros snapped.

Ashley got off her galaxy glider and grabbed his arm. "What? Ashley! What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Stopping you from making a mistake it's a trap," she replied.

"How do you know?" He asked.

"This is Darkonda, Andros."

Andros pushed her back. "I'll get him to tell me where she is," he snapped. Ashley watched in horror as he ran towards Darkonda and gasped when she saw that it was a trap that he had set up. She saw the button in the middle.

"ANDROS! NO!" She screamed.

Ashley watched in disbelief as Ecliptor pushed Andros out of the way. "What are you doing?" Darkonda demanded. Ashley covered her eyes when the bomb blew up taking Darkonda with it. She ran over to Andros.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah," he replied.

He then looked at Ecliptor. "You have no idea what you've done!" Andros snapped.

"I know exactly what I've done. I just saved you from total destruction," Ecliptor snapped.

"You saved me, Ecliptor?" Andros asked.

"Yes, once and only once. I will not save you again."

Ashley held Andros's arm when Ecliptor disappeared. "Darkonda was the only one who knew where Karone was, now I'll never find her," Andros told her.

"We'll find Karone, Andros. I promise," she assured him.

"Right, let's get back," he answered.

They got back on their galaxy gliders and went back to help their friends.

(After the Fight)

Ashley was standing on the bridge when she saw Andros leaving again. "Andros, where are you going?" She asked.

"I'm going back down there to get that thing I ripped off Astronema's neck," he informed.

Ashley nodded. "Be careful okay?" She asked. Andros gave her a quick kiss.

"I will," he answered.

Ashley watched him go and bit her bottom lip. She had a feeling that something bad was going to happen while he was down there.

(Andros's Return)

Ashley let out a sigh when she finally found Andros on the simu-deck practicing hard during one of the simulations. "Andros," she called. Andros turned off the simulation and sat down trying to catch his breath. "Are you okay?" She asked. She walked over and kneeled in front of him.

"What do you think?" He asked.

Ashley reached over and held his hand. "I'm so sorry about what happened to Karone," she told him. Andros lowered his head.

"All this time, she's been my enemy. My own sister, she's my enemy," he murmured.

Ashley let out a heavy sigh. "I know how you feel," she answered. Andros pulled his hand away and stood up.

"No you don't," he muttered.

"What do you mean that I don't?" She asked.

She stood up and looked at his back. Andros turned and looked at her. "Karone was my sister. Not yours," he snapped.

"Yeah, but I grew up with both you and Karone. She was my best friend, she was the sister I never had," she snapped back.

"She wasn't your responsibility."

Ashley let out a sigh. "Fine, you know what, I give up," she hissed. She went to walk by Andros when he grabbed her arm. "Let me go, Andros," she instructed.

"Wait," he answered.

Ashley let out a sigh. "I'm sorry," he murmured. Ashley stepped back in front of him to see the tears in his eyes. "I--I just…" he trailed off. Ashley placed her hands on his face.

"I know," she assured him.

She hugged him tight and let him cry against her. "I can't believe this," he sobbed.

Later on, Ashley was sitting on the floor of the simu-deck with Andros's head in her lap. He had fall asleep and she just continued to be there for him like she was when this first happened. She stroked his hair and leaned back against the wall. She looked up to see Cassie there. She gestured for her to stay quiet and Cassie nodded before leaving them alone. Ashley kissed the side of his head and held his hand. "We'll find a way to bring her back, Andros, I promise," she whispered.