Chapter 11: Return of a Friend and a Sister

Ashley walked by the engine room where Astronema or Karone chained in the engine room. "Hey," she greeted. Karone looked up at her.

"You seem familiar to me," Karone commented.

Ashley sat across from her. "I'm Ashley…or Adora. We used to be best friends when we were kids," she informed. Kaorne seemed to think about it for a minute.

"Adora…I remember," Karone answered.

Ashley nodded her head slowly. "Andros and I got married eight years after you left," Ashley commented.

"Really? You're still together now?" Karone asked.

"Yeah…after I remembered who I was," she replied.

Karone looked at her confused. Ashley explained to her what happened with the explosion and going to Earth to start over. "So, do you and Andros plan on having a family?" Karone asked. Ashley shrugged her shoulders.

"We've been thinking about it. Right now's not a good time to bring a baby into the universe with the whole Dark Specter thing," she explained.

"Right. Have you seen your parents?" She asked.

"My father died during the last stand on KO-35 to save my mom. My mom was doing fine, she actually helped me remember who I was," Ashley replied.

Karone was silent. "Andros never stopped searching for you, Karone," she informed. Karone nodded her head slowly.

"Hey," Andros greeted.

Karone and Ashley looked up when Andros came in. Andros sat next to Ashley. "I'm sorry you have to be tied up like this," Andros apologized.

"I understand, your friends don't trust me," she answered.

Ashley reached over and held Andros's hands. Andros smiled as he looked at Karone. "You know, I can see a lot of mom in you," he commented. Karone smiled sadly.

"I wish I could see them. What were they like?" She asked.

Ashley slowly got up. "I'll leave you two alone," she informed. Andros watched her leave before looking back at his sister.

"They were the greatest parents any kid could ask for," Andros told Karone.

Karone smiled. "What happened to them?" She asked. Andros let out a sad sigh.

"On the last stand of KO-35, mom and dad were killed," he replied.

"Oh…" she mumbled.

Andros sighed. "But mom and dad loved you so much, Karone. They never stopped searching for you. After they died, I continued on with the search," he told her. Karone smiled.

"Adora…you call her Ashley now?" Karone asked.

"Yeah, I mean, it's been her name for two years, so calling her Ashley would seem to be fair."

Karone nodded. "I guess that if Darkonda didn't kidnap me, I would've been married by now too," she commented. Andros nodded. "What happened to the boy I was matched with?" She asked.

"He was matched with someone else and he married," he replied.
"Oh," she mumbled.
"Once I become Emperor of KO-35, I'm changing the marriage age. Fifteen is too young."

Karone nodded in agreement.

(After Crash Landing)

Andros ran over to Ashley. "You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

Andros helped her stand up and then he remembered about Karone. "Karone!" He gasped. Ashley ran after him when he ran towards the engine room.

Andros looked around the engine room to find the backdoor open and Karone gone. "I told you we shouldn't have trusted her," TJ reminded.

"She didn't betray us," Andros insisted.

"Then why'd she jump ship?" Ashley asked.

Ashley walked over and grabbed his arm. "Andros, I love you and I've vowed to love you and stay by your side forever. But, there might not be much good left in her. She maybe your sister and my best friend, but she was raised by the enemy," she reminded him telepathically. Andros let out a sigh and stared back at Ashley.

"Karone's my own flesh and blood. I know that she won't betray us," he assured her.

Ashley held his hand and let out a sigh. "I hope so. We better go find Zordon," she answered. The others looked at each other confused wondering what just happened. Andros nodded and got off the ship.

While they were looking around, Ashley reached over and held his hand. Andros pulled her next to him to keep her from falling behind the team. Ashley gasped when they were surrounded by quantrons. "Great," she groaned. Andros let her hand go.

"LET'S ROCKET!" They shouted.

While Ashley was fighting the quantrons, she looked over to see Darkonda throw a blast at Andros. "ANDROS!" She shouted. She ran over and started to fight Darkonda.

"Ashley what are you doing?" Andros asked.

"Go find Zordon, don't worry I'll be okay," she replied.

"That's what you think," Darkonda laughed.

Ashley cried out in pain when Darkonda took his sword and slashed her stomach, making her fall to the ground in pain. "ASHLEY!" Andros shouted. He felt someone grab his arm and looked up to see that it was Karone.

"Andros, you okay?" She asked.

Andros nodded his head and she helped him stand up to help him find Zordon. Ashley fought against the quantrons when they dragged her to her feet and chained her arms. Darkonda laughed when he looked at Ashley. "I'll be having the pleasure of killing you once again, Lady Adora, daughter of Alastair," he laughed. Ashley's eyes widened and she fought against the chains while they dragged her and the others.

Once they stopped, Ashley saw Andros surrounded by quantrons. "NO!" Ashley shouted. She looked at Karone. "HE'S YOUR BROTHER! HE TRUSTED YOU! AND SO DID I!" Ashley shouted. Karone looked at her with a glare.

"Karone, you're my own flesh and blood," Andros put in.

"I'll have the pleasure of killing Emperor Andros, Dark Specter," she informed.

"NO!" Ashley cried out in agony.

"Kill Lady Adora as well, Darkonda," Dark Specter ordered.

"It will be my pleasure," Darkonda answered.

"Ashley!" Cassie gasped.

Ashley was thrown to her knees in front of Darkonda and the monster raised his sword. "Say goodbye, Lady Adora," he laughed. She closed her eyes and raised her arms hoping it would stop the blow. However, she heard a blast and looked up to see that Karone had blasted Darkonda in the back.

"DUCK!" Karone shouted.

She threw her boomerang and it hit the quantrons and piranhatrons that held her and the others down. Ashley stood up and Karone ran over to her. "Hold your arms out," she instructed. She undid the chains on their wrists.

"So you are on our side after all," TJ commented.

Karone grinned and winked at him. "TRAITOR!" Darkonda shouted. Ashley gasped when Darkonda was going to throw a blast at Karone when Darkonda was destroyed again.

"Out of my way you tin monkeys," a voice shouted.

Ashley saw Ecliptor pushing through the crowd. "ECLIPTOR!" Karone shouted. They kept the qunatrons and piranhatrons back while Karone tried to help Ecliptor. Ecliptor looked at Andros and Ashley.

"Get her out of here," he ordered.

Andros grabbed onto Karone's arm. "ECLIPTOR!" Karone called out.

"He'll be fine," Ashley assured her.

They got onto the ship and took off.

Afterwards, Andros brought Karone to the bridge. Ashley stood beside TJ. "I owe you an apology," TJ commented. Ashley placed a hand on his shoulder.

"No, we all do," Ashley agreed.

Karone bit her lip. "Look, I don't expect you guys to like me. I mean…I never had any friends…I didn't deserve one. But I do hope that…one day, you'll know that I don't want to hurt you," Karone explained.

"I do," Cassie informed.

"Yeah…me too," Carlos agreed.

"Not maybe one day, but right now," Cassie added.

TJ smiled. "If you ask us…you have five friends," he informed. Ashley smiled and stood in front of her.

"And hey, you deserve every single one of them," she agreed.

She held Karone's hand with a smile. Andros smiled at his friends, but his eyes were drawn to Ashley and Karone. They were two best friends reunited once again.

(Flashback)

Adora laughed as she ran around the park with Andros. "KARONE!" They called out. Karone was hiding in the bushes and let out a small giggle. Adora ran over and pulled her best friend out of the bushes. "Found you!" They announced. The three of them laughed before they were lying on the ground looking at the sky.

"Adora," Karone said.

"Yeah," Adora answered.

"We're best friends right?" She asked.

"Yeah."

Adora sat up with Andros by her side. "The three of us will be best friends forever," Andros put in. Adora and Karone nodded.

"Best friends forever," they agreed.

(End Flashback)