Chapter 13: More Pain

Another month went by and the whip marks on Andros's back were healing. However, now Andros was starting to wonder if he'd ever see home again. He fought to stay alive to see his sister at least one last time, but now, he wasn't sure if he'd live to see another day.

Andros was trying to get some sleep when the door opened, the light nearly blinding him. "Get up," Darkonda ordered. Andros slowly stood up and Darkona shoved the sword into his hand. "Walk," he ordered. Andros slowly went down the hall towards the "training" room. Andros called it the "torture room" since that's all he got.

Once they got into the room, Darkonda pushed Andros to the floor and slammed his foot onto his back. "Easy, Darkonda," Divatox warned.

"Oh shut up, I'm not going to hurt him too much. You'll have your toy," he answered.

"I'm not…" Andros trailed off.

He felt the air get knocked out of him when Darkonda slammed his foot into his back. "Shut up, you," Darkonda snapped. Andros coughed and tried to bring the air back into his lungs. "Get up," Darkonda ordered. Andros slowly stood up and he looked at Darkonda.

"You're not going to beat me again," Andros hissed.

Andros held his hand up and reached deep down to find his magic. A red ball of electricity flew at Darkonda, knocking the evil monster to the floor. Before Andros could react, an orange blast was shot at him, making him fly back and hit the wall. "Want to play rough?" Darkonda snapped. He stood up and grabbed Andros by his throat, throwing him to the floor. He kicked Andros's side and suddenly, a sickening crack echoed off the walls and not even a millisecond after that Andros screamed in pain.

"What did you do?" Divatox hissed.

"Relax, I just broke his rib," Darkonda replied.

Andros winced and felt the tears pressing against his eyes. "Make the pain stop," he whispered.

"Get up," Darkonda ordered.

"I don't think I can," Andros answered.

Darkonda grabbed the back of Andros's jacket and threw him to his feet. "Get up," he snapped. Andros held his side with one hand and tried to fight Darkonda with one hand. However, pain shot through his body as he tried to fight the evil monster off.

After about ten minutes, Andros was too weak to even hold up his sword. He dropped his sword and collapsed to his knees. "Get up, Red Ranger," Darkonda ordered.

"I--I can't," Andros answered.

Andros cried out in pain when he was hit in the back. "Please…no more…I'm begging you…please," he insisted. Divatox glared at Andros's prone form.

"I told you not to hurt him," she hissed.

She walked over and kicked Andros's already injured side, making him fall over. "Filth," she hissed. Andros coughed and tried to let the air come back into his lungs. "Take him away," she ordered. The pirahnatrons grabbed Andros's arms and dragged him out of the room and back towards his cell.

Andros hit the floor and he coughed again, but then time, he suddenly felt the bitter taste…blood. "No…no," he whispered. Andros lied there on the floor once again and coughed once more.

(Dark Fortress)

Ecliptor let out a frustrated sigh. "I've been all over the Viton Galaxy. Where are you?" He asked. He hit the console and he looked over at the room that once belonged to Andros when he was Demion. He slowly walked into the room and could almost picture seeing Andros seven once again fast asleep in that bed. And just like that, the image was gone. Ecliptor wanted Andros to be safe, he always wanted that boy to be safe, whether if he was Demion or Andros. He'd give his life for him and Karone. That's what made Ecliptor so different from the other villains…he cared. Ecliptor walked towards the screen. "Send transmission to Divatox now," he ordered. Divatox then appeared on the screen.

"Well hello Ecliptor. How may I help you?" She asked.

"I want my son back," he replied.

"Your son?"

"Andros, give me the Red Ranger."

Divatox laughed at him. "You really think I'm just going to hand him over to you just like that?" She asked.

"If you value your life you would," Ecliptor replied.

Divatox laughed at him some more. "He's mine," she laughed. Ecliptor let out a low growl.

"I want my son back now," he ordered.

"I don't take orders from you."

"You will give him to me."

"Or you'll what? I have the upper hand, I have what you want. Do anything to this ship and you'll lose him."

Ecliptor let out another low growl. Divatox then cut the transmission. "Find that ship now," he ordered.

(Divatox's Ship)

Andros was lying on the floor just hoping for the throbbing in his side to go away. His mind drifted into a dream world, where he wasn't in this horrible place. "Karone…" he whispered. He wondered what his sister was doing at that very moment. Was she dating Zhane by this time? Was she safe? Was she happy? Those questions swam around in his brain. He hoped that she was. He just wanted to see his sister's smiling face one more time. His eyes slid closed and he fell into a deep sleep.

(Andros's Dream)

Andros looked around to find himself in a park. "Hey!" A voice called. He looked up to see the most beautiful girl in the universe coming up to him. "You okay?" She asked.

She had shoulder-length light brown hair, brown eyes, she was wearing white shoes, a knee-length jean skirt, a light blue blouse, and she had a white headband in her hair.

Andros nodded to her. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine," he replied. The girl stood next to him with a small smile.

"Don't worry about Amanda, she gets on a lot of guys' nerves," she told him.

Andros reached over and held her hand. "I just want to be able to be touched without freaking out," he commented. She took his hand in hers and she kissed the top of it.

"You're safe from her now," she answered.

Andros sat down in front of a tree and pulled her down to him. She giggled and Andros kissed her neck. "I love you," she murmured. He pulled back and pressed his forehead against hers.

"I love you too," he answered.

(End Dream)