Andros fell into his bed and hid his face against his pillow. He couldn't face the others right now, not after the stupidity of what he had just done. Even if he explained to them, he doubted that they would understand. All he wanted to do was sleep and forget about the whole incident.
Andros, can I come in? He sighed as he heard Ashley's voice in his mind. He didn't want to see her . . . but he didn't want to not see her. She didn't sound upset.
"Deca, open the door," he said. He rolled over to face Ashley as she came in, wincing with pain as he did so.
"Are you all right?" Ashley knelt on the floor so that her face was level with his. Andros wished she hadn't done so; he didn't want to look in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," he muttered.
"It's okay," Ashley said softly. "We know about Karone."
"How?" It was the only thing he could think of to say.
"Carlos saw you watching it."
"Oh." His throat constricted. He wanted to cry, but he had forgotten how to.
"We'll help you find her," Ashley said softly.
"I can't feel Karone anymore," Andros whispered. "I can't feel Zhane anymore."
"Who's Zhane?" Ashley asked. "If you don't want to talk about it, I understand, but sometimes it helps to remember the people we love."
"Zhane saved my life on KO-35," Andros said. "He was my best friend, and he almost died saving me."
"Where is he now?" Andros hadn't realized that Ashley had taken his hand until she squeezed his hand gently.
"Asleep," Andros muttered. "He might never wake up." (A/N: Of course he will, he's half my story. Where would the fun be if I wrote this without the really awesome and always funny best-friend-hits-on-sister angle? Anyway . . .)
"It's okay," Ashley whispered. "Everything will be okay. You'll get them back."
Andros nodded drowsily. Ashley kept talking, but he didn't hear any of what she was saying. All he was aware of was how alone he felt without her. His grip on her hand didn't loosen as he fell asleep.
KO-35 was in utter chaos. Velocifighters darkened the skies and Quantrons terrorized the people on the ground. Evacuations were under way, but there was no way that they would all get out before Dark Specter himself arrived.
"Ready, Andros?" Zhane asked, his blue eyes set and determind. "It's all up to us now."
Andros nodded, his face equally impassive. "The only way we'll surrender is if we die."
"Let's rocket!" they cried together. Shimmering red and silver light engulfed them and where Andros and Zhane had stood now stood the red and silver Power Rangers, the last hope for the colony of KO-35. Bravely they headed out into the streets to fight a losing battle to protect the innocents of their world. From the beginning, they had no hope of victory.
Andros lost sight of Zhane in the masses of Quantrons. He realized that Zhane could fend for himself as well as he could, but in a situation like this, it gave him little relief to know it. As the hours wore on, Andros grew steadily weaker. The army they were against had unlimited numbers with boundless energy, but he was only human.
"Red Ranger, you're mine!" cried Ecliptor.
Andros fired several shots with his powered-up Spiral Saber, but Ecliptor dodged them all and sent his own blows, all of which hit. Andros fell, landing painfully on his side. He struggled to sit up, and knew that he would never evade the next blow. He would be lucky to survive.
"Will you surrender?" Ecliptor asked as he advanced.
"Never," Andros hissed.
"Then you will die," Ecliptor laughed and raised his sword.
There was a slight whistling sound as Ecliptor's sword sliced through the air, and Andros braced himself as best he was able. A split second before the blow rained down on him, Andros saw a streak of silver. Zhane had thrown himself between Andros and Ecliptor.
Andros woke from his nightmare at the same point that he always did: watching Zhane fall. He sat up, shaking.
"Andros?" Ashley asked. He jumped. He had forgotten that she was there. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he said, laying back down. "I had a dream."
Ashley sat up and stretched. She'd been sitting on the floor when she'd fallen asleep with her head resting against the side of his bed. After several hours in that position, she was stiff all over.
"Deca, what time is it in Angel Grove?" she asked.
"It would be five-thirty in the morning," Deca replied.
"Deca, set a course for Earth," Andros said. "We should go back before Astronema attacks again."
Ashley nodded. "Do you think you can sleep anymore?"
"I don't want to," Andros said, the images of his nightmare still fresh in his head.
"I'll go then," Ashley said. "Unless you want me to stay with you."
"Go," Andros said. He felt like screaming, "No, don't leave me here alone!" but he didn't.
Ashley smiled. "Good night then."
"Ashley?" he said. "Wait."
She turned. "What?"
"Thank you," he muttered. "For staying with me."
"It's fine," she said.
Then she was gone, and Andros was alone again.
