Disclaimer: The Power Rangers and all associated characters belong to Disney. No infringement intended.

Author's Note and Setting: This chapter takes place at the end of "Countdown to Destruction, Part II," and assumes the Space Rangers spent a few days on KO 35 before returning to Earth. The story is written in Karone's voice.

Written July 2006.

Reaching Out

"Let Me Tell You a Story"

The first word that comes to my mind is 'barren.' Hardly a stone lies upon a stone in the twelve kilometer expanse around me; in fact, there aren't even many whole stones here.

Pulverized. That's the second word. Many of the stones had been pulverized into dust and pebbles. Gray powder clings to my boots and blows in the wind, making my eyes itch.

I notice there aren't enough dust and pebbles to make enough stones to build much of a city. Either the buildings were mostly wood that had rotted in the years since the invasion, or the winds and waves carried most of the debris into the distance.

Or, more likely, most of the stones were carried away by able backs, to be used as building blocks for other cities, on planets Dark Specter hadn't condemned to death. Before I knew of my heritage, I knew of Kerovan architecture. Beautiful, simple designs that withstood time and temperature extremes.

Too bad it couldn't withstand plasma rifles.

I frown at the detached tone of my thoughts, shaking my head as if to chastise my private musings. I shouldn't be doing this. I know I should mourn. Despair. Rage. Something

Any feeling at all is better than the cold, analytical void I feel right now as I stare out at the desolate wasteland.

But, it's so hard to muster any sort of feeling. I've seen desolation so many times over the past ten years. Whether it is a flattened mountain range, pot-marked pasture, ravaged village, or razed cityscape, destruction is destruction.

I know this was my home, but only because I've been told as much. Despite Andros' insistent words and Zhane's earnest smile, I don't feel a connection to this planet. Nor do I feel any warmth toward this quiet fishing town in particular.

A fishing town… that's how Zhane described it. Other than the waves crashing against the rocky shore, or the shards of wood that hinted at a large pier, there are few hints to the area's prior life.

And that thought reminds me of Zhane's long absence. He wandered off almost as soon as we arrived, saying he'd be right back. I hadn't suspected anything was out of sorts at the time; he'd been nothing but cheerful during the flight here, talkative as always, but he did fall silent upon our arrival.

In retrospect, I should've noticed the warning sign immediately. A silent Zhane is a genuinely troubled Zhane. I've only been around other humans for a few days, but that's enough to see that they don't all behave like my brother.

I track back to the shuttle car, the spot where I last saw him, and follow in the direction I recall him walking. Toward the sea.

I move slowly, watching the footprints and listening to the sound of the ocean and birds. I know many people find these sounds relaxing; the calm flow of the water, the chirp of the animals, but I find the rumble distracting as I search for my missing companion. Instead, I listen for more familiar sounds: screams, laser fire, swords clashing… some reason to explain Zhane's lengthy delay. It may not be likely that some leftover pocket of Quantrons or monsters may remain here, but I've learned not to scoff and assume things were 'impossible.' After all, it's against all odds that I'm even alive today.

There is no such thing as 'impossible.'

My search comes to an end as I climb a precarious pile of rubble, and find a battered pier with only a few feet of wood still fixed to the earth. And there sits Zhane in profile, bent toward the ocean, his chin resting against his knees.

I stand for a moment, unsure how to approach the situation. Should I approach him? It's so strange to see it, but before my very eyes, Zhane seems to be… brooding. Zhane, the brash Silver Ranger who dared offer the Princess of Evil marshmallows.

I've never seen this side of him… and I can't help but wonder if he even wants me to see it. I feel like I'm intruding on something private, like when Ecliptor was deep in meditation, and it was inappropriate of me to interrupt.

I'm not certain of the proper protocol… but I am certain that I don't like seeing him like this.

"Zhane?" I call out to him, alerting him to my presence. I'm glad I gave him that warning; he visibly jumps at the sound of my voice, turning to me with wide green eyes.

I respond with surprise of my own; this is more severe than just brooding. His eyes are weary and reddened... in fact, I'm sure I can see tear tracks on his cheeks.

"Um... sorry I disappeared on you," he finally says, breaking the awkward silence. "I wasn't thinking."

He musters a grin, one so fragile my eyebrow rises skeptically. "What's wrong with you?" My voice is demanding, almost harsh.

I don't mean it, but I can't help it. His sadness is... frightening me.

His facade collapses as he waves toward the barren landscape. "I wasn't ready for this."

I turn to the skeleton of a once-thriving town, and then try to meet his gaze. But once again, his eyes are fixed into the distance, watching the rolling waves of the ocean. The one part of the landscape that hasn't changed.

I close the distance between us, kneeling on the splintered wood in front of him. This time, I'm careful to keep the edge off my voice. "What did you expect to find out here?"

"I wasn't around when KO 35 fell." His voice is soft, barely loud enough to hear over the crashing waves below us. "I'd been injured; I was recuperating in cryogenic stasis at the time. This is actually my first time back."

He takes a breath, looking up at the sky. "Believe me, I knew what happened… what Dark Specter did to this world. I knew in my head, at least. When I woke up, Andros told me the whole planet was abandoned. But, I guess, in my heart, I always hoped that maybe it wasn't… all gone."

His gaze drops to mine. "Of course, any invader worth his salt would take out the cities, but I thought that maybe some of the rural spots would've been spared. I guess I rationalized Dark Specter had bigger fish to fry than a little shore village half a day's flight from the capital." He brushes his hand along the battered pier. "Turns out Specter was pretty thorough, huh."

My stomach clenches at his empty smile. "Zhane…"

"I'm sorry Karone," he interrupts me. "I wanted you to see what KO 35 was like before the nightmare began."

With a wistful sigh Zhane rises to his feet. He takes his time brushing the dust from his black pants. "I'm sorry there's nothing here but rocks and memories."

He then offers me his hand. "Ready to go?"

I stare at his open palm before looking out at the ocean. It only takes me a moment to make my decision. "No, I'm not ready to go. You haven't shown me anything yet."

He blinks down at me, confused. "Huh?"

"I've seen the rocks," I note, taking his hand. "But I haven't heard the memories. I'd like to know why this place is so special to you."

He helps me to my feet, but our hands stay entwined. I tug him toward the edge of the pier, looking into the distance. "How far into the ocean did this pier go? Far enough to dive?"

His eyes linger on our joined hands for a moment longer, before he looks up. A small but genuine smile brightens his face, and I can't describe how much better I feel upon seeing it.

"The ocean was about twenty feet deep at the edge of the pier," he explains. "But we didn't do much swimming here; there was too much boating traffic. We swam south of here; at the lagoon."

I let him guide me over the damaged pier to the sturdier ground that was once a paved street.

"Right here used to be the fresh seafood market, where dozens of vendors sold their catch of the day. Really, the food here spoiled me rotten. I wouldn't touch fish as a little kid, but when I tried cree fillet, I found out pretty quick that I could eat my weight of it."

I smile at the thought of a rambunctious young Zhane, attempting that very feat at a table piled high with plates of seafood.

"And I thought you only had a taste for sweets," I tease, thinking fondly of our first encounter at a park in Angel Grove… a lifetime ago.

"Speaking of sweets," his grasp on my hand tightens as he pulls me along the road with purpose, "right here used to be the shop that sold the best candy in the town. They had everything you could think of... but the best was the sea salt chew."

I can't help but grimace at the idea. "Sea salt? Doesn't sound very sweet."

"It was a salty-sweet. Trust me, it worked. The lines were always outside the shop over the summer; whenever I came, I stocked up on the stuff..."

His stories continue, from adventures on the shore to life with his family in the summers, to just his youth in general, or life on KO 35. And I listened with rapt attention, watching him smile with the memories, stand up on a pile of rocks to re-enact a particularly memorable event, or wave his arms to help describe a long lost building.

After crossing the town at a leisurely pace, we reach the southern lagoon at dusk. And this shore, sandy and secluded, is as serene as his stories described.

I can tell by his smile that he feels the same way. "And, well, this is the beach where we did most of our swimming. In fact, when I was a kid, my dad taught me how to swim out here."

"It's beautiful, Zhane."

I look out into the horizon, at the peaceful ocean with its calm waters. It isn't hard to imagine dozens of families sunbathing, swimming, and picnicking on this very spot, enjoying the gentle breeze of the inlet.

With a sad smile, I turn back to the city.

Perhaps it's just a trick of the setting sun. Or, with all the day's activities, I might be tired. Or, maybe Zhane is just that good of a storyteller. But in the golden haze of sunset, it feels like I can almost see what this town would've looked like; sturdy buildings that are proudly built, but unpretentious. Scores of locals and visitors filling the stone-paved streets. Vendors lining the roads, selling food, clothing, and trinkets.

Is this... a memory?

"Karone? Are you okay?"

I turn around, blinking to bring Zhane's puzzled face into focus. And that's when I first feel the tickle against my cheek.

My senses seem to have slowed to a crawl. Zhane responds first, brushing the tears from my eyes. "Karone?" he repeats, his face darkening with concern.

"Zhane, do you know if I've ever been here?"

"I don't know," he admits. "Andros never said anything to me. But it's possible; your family is from the same city, and this was a popular vacation town."

I nod, bending to the sand and taking a handful in my fist. As I watch the sand sift through my fingers, I realize I can't seem to stop the tears from falling.

The town Zhane just described is gone. For a few brief moments, I could feel it living again; but I know it isn't. All the joy that Zhane experienced in his childhood; the fun, the adventure, the new experiences... they are only memories now. This town won't be there for the Kerovan children of today to enjoy.

This is what it means to destroy a world; to destroy the culture and environment that molds the people.

"Thank you for sharing this with me, Zhane," I murmur, dusting the sand from my hands. "It was a beautiful town."

"It will be again."

I look up, and I'm relieved to see his smile has returned with all its characteristic brilliance. "It'll be different, of course; but this town, and all of KO 35, will be rebuilt."

Rebuilt. It has the ring of hope to it. A bright future; different, but rooted in the past to preserve the memory.

It's enough to make me smile, and be truly grateful for the trip.

I stand up, accepting Zhane's offered hand as we head back through the town toward the shuttle car.