Disclaimer: The Power Rangers are not mine.

Chapter 6

His locket was a simple silver thing hung from a silver chain. Hers had been more delicate, intricately engraved with gold. Andros rubbed it slowly between his palms, feeling the metal warming beneath his skin.

This was the last remnant of his long-forgotten childhood, his last tie to his family. When he'd finally come home to KO-35, it was only to learn that his parents were gone and that he had no home to come back to.

Andros let his breath out slowly, trying not to think about that. He never thought about that unless he had to, and there were plenty of other things to think about now. Like Karone. Yeah, and that's much better.

The very idea that the twin sister he'd spent half his life searching for could be Astronema was just... too awful to consider. And yet at the same time, it made almost perfect sense.

"You two follow me," the monster growled. Karone whimpered and Andros shrank back against the door when the sword was waved in their faces again. "And keep quiet this time. Cry again and you'll be sorry. Understood?"

Karone was already crying again. Andros squeezed his eyes shut tight when she screamed. He didn't want to be hit again. His cheek was still hurting.

"You!" Andros jumped when the monster grabbed him by the shoulder. "You have one second to get out of my way."

He scrambled away from the door, closing his eyes again when the door opened. The light hurt his eyes.

His ankle still hurt, too. The monster kicked him again when he stopped walking and Andros tripped, yelling when his knees hit the ground hard. The monster didn't like that and turned around for him, grabbing him by the hair and yanking him back up. Andros screamed, but it didn't matter.

"Walk faster."

"But my--"

"Walk faster," the monster told him, "or I'll kill your sister."

Andros tried to keep up with them after that. He tried not to cry, either, but it really did hurt to walk. He was glad when they didn't have to go too far and stopped in front of a building. Karone didn't want to go inside and neither did Andros, but they were both pushed from behind until they walked forward.

"What took you so long? And why did you bring two?"

Andros looked down at his feet when someone knelt down in front of him, too afraid to scream when he saw another monster looking at him. This one was green with red eyes, and Andros didn't breathe until it looked away to Karone.

"It took me longer than anticipated to find as fine a specimen as you required, Ecliptor," the monster answered. "Take your pick of the two."

"Hmm." Ecliptor looked back at him, then shook his head. "No. It will have to be the girl."

"Not until I've had my payment."

Karone looked at Andros, tears running down her face again when Ecliptor tugged on her arm. He stared back at her, just as confused. He didn't understand what was happening, didn't know what they were talking about.

He wanted to go home.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Darkonda."

"Just give me what we've agreed upon," Darkonda snapped, and laid a hand on both children's shoulders. "Or you're getting nothing."

Andros reached for his sister's hands. Karone inched closer to him and they huddled together there until Ecliptor and Darkonda finished arguing. Ecliptor pulled on Karone's arm, carefully prying the children apart.

"Karone," Andros shouted, running after her. Darkonda grabbed him around the waist, just hefting him up over his shoulder and walking away. "KARONE!"

He kicked and screamed, thrashing around with his arms and legs. Darkonda gripped him more tightly to keep him from falling, but Andros didn't care. He had to get back to Karone. He just had to.

"Didn't I tell you to keep quiet?" Darkonda slammed the hatch shut the instant they were back in the shuttle. "Well, didn't I?"

Andros was crying too hard to hear him. His face shone with tears, his skin hot and damp. "Karone," he screamed again, kicking hard. "Where's Karone?"

He was still sniffling when Darkonda dropped him down to the floor. Andros didn't try to move, just hugging his knees to his chest and curling up right where he was. "Karone," he whimpered.

"You'll never find her." Darkonda kicked Andros out of his way and slid into the pilot's seat.

No! No, that couldn't be true. He was going to find Karone. He just had to. Andros squeezed his eyes shut and cried himself to sleep.

He didn't remember much after that. When he'd woken up, Darkonda was nowhere in sight and he was crammed into a room with a few dozen other children. His memory of the next six years was spotty, filled with huge gaps of time where he simply couldn't recall a thing.

He let out his breath very slowly and raised his head up out of his hands. Breathe... just breathe. There. That was better. Andros took another deep breath just to be sure, exhaling as he fell back onto his bed.

What was he thinking, dwelling on this? It was over, and had been for years. Thinking about it now would only get in the way of what he was supposed to do.

Pulling the pillow out from under his head, Andros resolved never to think about that again. But there was just one thing he wanted to know, one question that he'd known the answer to for years.

"Deca?" Andros rolled onto his side, staring at her eye. "What happened to my parents?"

"Your parents were listed among the deceased on Eltare five years ago," Deca answered.

He knew that. "No," he said softly. "What happened to them after they left KO-35?"

"Your parents left KO-35 three years after your and Karone's abduction," she informed him, still speaking quietly. "They settled on Eltare soon after. Your mother--" Deca hesitated, and Andros felt his stomach drop. "Your mother gave birth to a son the next year."

Andros almost stopped breathing. "A son?" he repeated weakly, all his senses reeling. "I have a brother?"

"Andros," Deca began gently, and that was all it took.

He swallowed hard, gritting his teeth and closing his eyes. "What was his name?"

"Taren," she said softly. "He had just turned two."

Andros let out a deep breath and unclenched his hands. He had to know. "How did it happen?"

"Their house was destroyed during an attack."

"Oh." He hesitated. "So it was quick?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Andros couldn't think of anything else to say. "Thanks, Deca."

She didn't respond, and he didn't speak again. Andros rolled onto his other side and stared at the wall, his pillow hugged against his chest. A brother. He'd had a brother, and now he'd never know him.

Closing his eyes, he tried to think. Three years after he'd been taken, his parents had left. He would have been nine then, ten the year after. So his brother had he lived would be seven now, maybe almost eight.

The knock on his door startled him, and he jumped. "Who's there?" he called, hoping it was someone he could scare away easily. He felt a flash of guilt for the thought, but he wanted very badly to be left alone.

"It's me," Zhane's voice shouted. "Can I come in?"

"Deca, let him in." Andros sighed and sat up. "What did you want?"

"Here." Zhane tossed some clothes at him. "You won't exactly blend in on Earth in that."

"Earth?" Andros repeated weakly. "Why?"

"Because you're going down there," Zhane reminded him. "Ashley and Cassie are taking you shopping, remember?"

"But--" But my brother's dead. But he didn't say that. He couldn't. He wouldn't allow himself to show any emotion, nothing hinting about Karone, or his little brother, or any of it. Grabbing up the clothes, Andros slunk into the bathroom.

Zhane was gone when he emerged, leaving Andros with a few moments to make sure he could control himself. With a sigh, he pulled his hair back into a ponytail and left the room, his heart aching but confident that his face didn't show it.

Ashley looked at him oddly when he appeared in the holding bay. "Is Zhane taller than you?"

"What?" Andros just stared at her.

"Is Zhane taller than you?" she wanted to know. "Those clothes look a little big on you."

"Oh." Andros nodded. The clothes fit well enough, but hung loosely on him. Andros suddenly felt very small in them, and fought his hardest not to let it show. "He is."

"You look taller," she told him, and shrugged. "As soon as Cassie gets here, we'll go."

Andros tried not to sigh. "Sure."

He was already wishing that this was over with. Cassie appeared a few minutes later, and Andros resigned himself to quite literally being dragged from store to store. At their orders, he found himself trying on item after item, and hating each one more than the last.

The jeans were too loose. Loose clothing was completely impractical for someone like him; it would only hinder him during a fight. He thought the fabric was uncomfortable anyway. But he kept his mouth shut and they picked out a few pairs for him when he said he didn't care.

"You looked nice," Cassie assured him, and Ashley gave his arm a tug.

"You just need a shirt or two," Ashley added as they headed across the store. "TJ has plenty of red stuff that he doesn't need anymore."

"Oh." Andros didn't know what else to say, but it sounded like he'd be back on the Megaship soon, and that appealed to him.

"Over here," Cassie called, and with her arm still in his, Andros had no choice but to follow Ashley. He really wished he'd told her hours ago that he hated to be touched. But, determined to get through this as quickly as possible, he hadn't and now his skin was crawling.

"Andros?" Ashley paused, glancing up at him in concern. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he muttered, realizing that he'd stopped walking. "I'm fine."

"You always say that," she remarked, still staring at him. "Do you ever mean it?"

They caught up to Cassie then, and Andros was spared the trouble of responding. His stomach flipped nervously as he studied the nearby clothes, wondering just how he could convince them that he wasn't going to wear them.

"Here, what do you think of this one?" Cassie held up one for him to examine while Ashley wandered off to find another few shirts.

"No." Andros hardly glanced at it, but the fact that it had no sleeves was enough. He wasn't wearing anything that wouldn't hide that damned slave mark.

"Okay... this one?"

He just shook his head.

"Hey," Ashley bounced up to them again, her arms filled with clothes. "You like any of these?"

Andros rifled through them quickly, selecting a plain red polo shirt from the bunch. "This one."

"Just that one?"

He was saved answering when their communicators beeped. Ashley and Cassie jumped like they'd just been shocked, and Andros looked at them in confusion. Oh. Earth didn't know who its Rangers were. He sighed and shook his head while they ran around looking for a more discreet location. It was a strange place.

"What's up?" Ashley wanted to know.

"You guys might wanna get back here," TJ's voice responded. "Some guy is looking for Andros. He says his name's Darkonda."

Andros flinched away violently when Ashley laid a hand on his arm. "I'm fine," he said automatically. "We'll be right there."

What the hell do I do now? It didn't look like he was going to have much choice in how this worked itself out.

He felt sick to his stomach as the Megaship appeared around him and even worse when he took his seat. Zhane shot him a look clear full of sympathy, and that really didn't make him feel much better. The other Rangers watched him curiously, and he decided against ordering them off the Bridge. That would only lead to more questions after.

Andros set his jaw and stared ahead stonily. "Deca, put the transmission through."

"Red Ranger." He just barely managed not to cringe. Darkonda smiled at him cruelly, his sword in one hand. "You've gone back on our bargain."

Andros didn't answer.

"I won't let you off so easily the next time we meet," Darkonda continued. "By the time I'm through with you, you'll be begging me to kill you."

He didn't doubt it. No matter how hard Andros tried, he knew that he could only take so much before his spirit was broken down completely. He knew Darkonda knew it too.

Darkonda cut the transmission then, leaving Andros and the other Rangers sitting on the Bridge in total silence.

"Andros?" He saw Ashley look over at him, but he carefully kept his eyes trained on the console in front of him.

"I'm fine," he muttered. "I... it's nothing."

"It sure sounded like something," Carlos said from behind him. "Andros, whatever it is that Darkonda wants with you, we can beat him together."

"I don't need you to fight for me," Andros growled. "I can do this on my own."

"Andros, we're you're friends," Ashley said softly, pleading with him quietly. "Let us help you."

"No," he snapped, not caring how harsh he sounded. "You're not my friends, and I don't need you for this."

"Maybe," Cassie said slowly, speaking when even Ashley seemed speechless. "But you're our friend and we're not going to let you do this on your own."

"Yeah," Ashley chimed in, reaching out to him.

Andros slapped her hand away without thinking. "Don't touch me," he growled, everything finally working its way out. "I hate it when you touch me. I hate it when you talk to me. Just leave me alone! Is that so much to ask for?!"

The next thirty seconds passed in the loudest silence Andros had ever felt. Zhane reached out to him mentally and Andros slammed his walls up, ignoring anything that Zhane had to say. He heard footsteps walking away from him and the Megalift doors slid open. Out of the corners of his eyes, Andros saw Cassie stand and walk away, Ashley following her only a second later. The Megalift hummed to life and the last of the footsteps faded away, and when Andros finally raised his head up, he was completely alone on the Bridge.

He didn't quite know how he got to his room, but he was aware of himself curling up under his blanket a few moments later, his eyes squeezed shut. He'd probably lost all chance of ever being their friend now. Andros was surprised at just how much that thought hurt.

"Andros." Deca's voice was soft, but instantly penetrated the daze his mind was in. "The Rangers wish to speak with you."

"I'll see them in the morning," Andros muttered in response. He hugged his pillow a little closer and closed his eyes, the pain inside almost unbearable now. It wasn't just his heart that ached now; his throat was too tight for him to breathe and his eyes burned with tears that didn't fall.

"They wish to speak with you now." Deca placed a slight emphasis on now. Andros ignored her, squeezing his eyes shut a little tighter. "I've told them you'll speak with them in the morning," she informed him a moment later. "They would rather see you now."

"Yeah, well," he mumbled, "I don't want to see them."

"May I ask why?"

Andros didn't answer, and Deca left him alone for awhile after that. He knew she was still waiting for an answer; she always was, but she had all the time in the world. Andros was unspeakably grateful for that patience. He couldn't imagine how he would have survived the past five years without knowing that she would listen when he was ready to talk.

"Because," he finally managed to say, "I don't want to be around them, and they don't want to be around me."

"Are you sure about that?"

"After what I said to them?" Andros swallowed hard, his breath hitching slightly. "Would you want to be around me?"

"I don't believe that they are as angry as you think they are," Deca said almost gently, and Andros looked up at her.

"What do you mean?"

"They only want an explanation," she told him. "I agree that they deserve one, though how much you choose to reveal is your own decision."

"They're not angry with me?" Andros couldn't believe that. "But... I've been so horrible to them."

"From what I have seen, forgiveness is one of the many virtues of friendship," Deca said, reminding him, "You have said far worse to Zhane than you have to the other Rangers."

"Yeah, but... Zhane's my friend."

"Do you only want one friend?"

"No... but Zhane's like me." Clarity suddenly dawned on him, and he continued, "We're from the same place. I know what to expect from him--as much is possible to expect from Zhane, anyway."

Deca waited, and Andros sighed. "I don't know what to expect from them, or what they expect from me. I don't know what they're talking about half the time and Earth is a totally different place. I grew up with so many different kinds of aliens, and KO-35 was the same. Aliens were everywhere, and no one cared. Here, everyone is the same and I'm the one who's different.

"I feel so stupid here," he almost whispered. "I don't know what to do."

If Deca answered, Andros didn't hear her. He felt sick to his stomach now, tears pressing harder than ever against his closed eyelids. The lump in his throat was still choking him, and his knuckles were white from clutching the pillow.

"It was not their intention to make you feel this way," Deca spoke up a few moments later. "They consider you their friend."

"But--why?"

"That I cannot answer for you," she said gently. "If you wish to know, you must ask them yourself."

"That's the thing," Andros muttered, rolling onto his back. "I don't want to talk to them."

"You have made that comment several times now," Deca remarked. "However, you have yet to convince me of the truthfulness behind it."

Andros didn't answer for a long time, then he slowly opened his eyes and sought out her camera. "Deca..." He stared helplessly into the darkness for a few more minutes before finally asking, "What am I supposed to say to them?"

"You could begin with the truth," she suggested. "I believe that Zhane has omitted many facts in the explanation he provided for them."

"I know." Andros let out a deep breath. "But what am I supposed to say to them? My past hardly excuses the way that I've treated them."

"Perhaps not," Deca agreed, "but from a psychological perspective--"

"Have I ever mentioned how much I hate it when you do that?"

"I don't believe that you have."

"I hate it when you do that."

"I will remember that." Deca paused momentarily, then asked, "Do you wish for my help or not?"

"Yeah." Andros sighed and shoved the pillow under his head. "You know I do."