"Hey, Zhane, I need to talk to you," Ashley said seriously.
"Are you okay?" Zhane asked as Ashley entered his room. He quickly slid the photograph he had been looking at out of sight.
"I'm fine," Ashley said. "I'm worried about Andros."
Zhane sat up. "I can't believe I forgot."
"What?"
"You know about Karone, right?" Ashley nodded. "Today is the anniversary of her kidnapping."
"How long ago was it?"
"They were six when it happened," Zhane said, thinking. "It would be eleven years today."
"Poor Andros," said Ashley sadly. "Will he be okay?"
Zhane nodded. "He'll be fine. He's just always depressed today. He might let you talk to him."
"He doesn't let you?"
Zhane shook his head. "He opens up completely to you."
"Would he want me to go talk to him?"
Zhane looked at her thoughtfully. "I would say no, but I never thought he'd get a girl either. Or let anyone have the yellow Astro morpher."
"It was supposed to be Karone's, wasn't it?" Ashley said.
Zhane nodded. "The Karovan rangers were chosen as children. Andros and I were the only two that actually got our morphers, though."
"I'll go see how he's doing," Ashley said. "What should he be like?"
"Quiet," Zhane said. "Very quiet."
Ashley nodded and left. Andros' door was locked, as she'd expected it to be.
"Andros, can I come in?" There was no answer.
"Andros? Deca, is Andros in there?"
"Andros is at the beach," Deca replied. "Would you like me to teleport you there?"
Ashley nodded. "Thanks, Deca."
The sky was dark and cloudy and the beach was deserted. Ashley spotted Andros quickly. He was sitting down, with his back leaning against a wall of sand. His legs were pulled up to his chin and his shoulders were hunched over.
"Andros?" Ashley asked softly. He raised his eyes to her but didn't say anything.
Do you want me to go?
He shook his head slightly, and Ashley sat down next to him and took his hand. They sat silently for several minutes before Andros looked at her again.
"You talked to Zhane didn't you?"
Ashley nodded. "He told me."
"Are you here because you feel sorry for me?" Andros asked, turning to look her in the eye. "You don't have to stay with me."
I'm here because I want to be, Ashley said firmly. Andros nodded and looked away again.
I miss her.
Ashley wrapped her arms around him and waited. Eventually Andros looked at her.
"Do you think that Karone could still be alive?" Andros asked her.
Ashley sighed. "She could be. I don't know if she is or not, but it is a possibility."
"I keep telling myself that I'll find her," Andros whispered.
"You will someday," Ashley said. There was nothing else she could say.
She was sad today. She was always sad on this day, and she could never remember why. She was worshipped. She was a princess. But there was always something missing.
"My princess, what is the matter?"
She sighed. "I don't know," she told her guardian. "I think I need to go have some fun."
"Take care, my princess."
"I will," she assured him.
She headed to the Angel Grove beach. Maybe Zhane would be there. They always met on the beach. She was falling in love with him, and it was killing her, because they were on opposite sides.
There were only two people on the beach that day. Zhane's friends. She recognized them. They were Andros and Ashley. They were sad too. She could tell even from this distance. She turned to go away. Today was not a day for fighting, but then she heard her master's voice.
"They are rangers! Attack them!" he ordered.
She sighed. Now she had no choice. Best to get this over with.
Ashley stiffened as she saw Astronema walking along the beach. For a moment it looked like she saw them, but then she turned and continued walking, like she was leaving, and Ashley dared to hope that she was. No such luck, Astronema headed toward them.
"Andros, get up," Ashley said, shaking him hard. "Snap out of it. Astronema's here."
"I can fight," Andros said, allowing Ashley to pull him to his feet. "Don't worry. I can fight."
"Rangers!" Astronema called. "I'm feeling generous today. I'll give you the chance to run."
Please take it, she thought, knowing that they never would. They were Power Rangers.
"Never," Ashley snapped.
Andros didn't say anything. Astronema was surprised. Normally the red ranger was all talk. But if Andros was feeling talkative or not wasn't her concern.
"Let's rocket!" Andros and Ashley cried together. For a moment after they morphed, Astronema did nothing. Then she remembered what she was supposed to be doing and attacked.
Astronema noticed that the yellow ranger was doing most of the fighting and intentionally keeping her from getting to Andros. Seizing the opportunity, she hit Ashley several times with her staff and sent her sprawling, knowing that this would send the red ranger into a fury. She was right.
"Leave her alone!" Andros' Spiral Saber caught her hard and she was forced to abandon her pursuit of the yellow ranger.
She slashed at him with her staff, but he dodged her and his Spiral Saber came at her neck. She snapped back. It missed her by inches, but the locket she had always worn was torn from her neck.
"No!" she cried. Andros looked around, trying to see where it had gone. He spotted it lying in the sand a few feet away. Astronema dove for it, but Andros beat her to it. Ashley took advantage of Astronema's distraction and landed some shots with her Star Slinger. Astronema landed face down. As she got up, she heard the yellow ranger's worried voice.
"Andros? Andros, what's wrong?"
The red ranger had morphed back into civilian form.
"Where did you get this?" the Andros demanded, looking at Astronema in disbelief.
"I've always had it," she snapped, making a grab for it and missing.
"Power down!" Ashley muttered. She didn't know what was going on, but she doubted that there would be any more fighting, and Andros looked about to faint.
He was looking from Astronema's locket to Astronema. "You've always had it? Always?"
"That's what I said," Astronema looked close to tears. "Please, give it back to me."
"But that would mean . . ." It took Andros a long moment to make his mouth form the name.
"Karone?"
