Cataclysm (Tsukino Akume, Drama/Friendship)
Because all traumatizing chapters should have banners!
Or just 'cause I was thinking about it, so I made one. Either way. ^.^V
Akume: -Looking over Cataclysm- I also apparently need to make a decision about this schitzophrenic tendency I have to randomly italicize comm conversations.
Title/: Cataclysm
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Relationship/: Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, mentions of Cassie/Phantom
Rating/: K+
Warnings/: emotional trauma, mentally disturbed people, depression
Disclaimer/: If I owned the Power Rangers, this universe would exist. We would have known who the Phantom Ranger was - and it *would* have been a girl because I'm weird like that - and team snuggles would be mandatory every episode. As none of that is cannon, it's safe to assume that I don't.
Summary/: When Astronema was defeated, the Astro Rangers gave up more than their Powers. Reporters, fans, and long-lost relatives are coming out of the woodwork as the team struggles to adjust to it all. Bright Skies Universe.
Theme/: #63. Nightmares
Author's Notes/: This chapter was greatly influenced by this picture. (Unfortunately, unless you have a DeviantArt account to prove you're over eighteen, you won't be able to see it. But accounts *are* free, and there's some jaw-dropping artwork to be found here regardless.) It's probably the reason this ended up a *lot* darker than I'd originally intended for it to be.
There has been debate as to whether or not the city of Keyota on KO-35 is cannon or was created by starandrea. I don't know which it is, but either way, I stole it from somebody.
Much love and appreciation to rosabelle for help with stalker love notes. You are a highly disturbing woman.
For purplestripe66, because I love you. Thank you for making me smile. ♥
She sat beside the bed, carefully holding his hand. "Hey," she greeted softly. "They say you're doing a lot better today."
"Oh, hi Ms. Vallerte! ... Ms. Vallerte, slow down. I can't - "
"What do you mean Carlos never came home? He didn't call?"
"They gave us a bunch of numbers that didn't make any sense to me, but Andros said they were a good thing." She frowned down at him. "I'm trusting Andros about something to do with numbers. You'd better not decide now's the best time to prove him wrong, you hear me?"
"Carlos, come in. Can you hear me?"
"Don't worry, Ms. Vallerte. We'll find him."
"Guys, this is Cassie. Has anybody seen Carlos?"
She stared at him for a moment, biting her lip as her eyes burned. After a moment she began to stroke the back of his hand with her thumb.
"Zordon's wave took out every evil being in the nearest four systems. If anything beyond that had tried to come to Earth, we would have already known about it."
"That's because what took him wasn't necessarily evil."
" ... Karone? What are you - "
Her eyes fell on the monitor next to the bed, watching it beep steadily. The line continued the way it had since they'd brought him here. The way it had ever since D.E.C.A. had informed them that Carlos needed care she couldn't provide.
"Did anyone notice Carlos never got one of his letters today?"
"What do you mean?"
Sometimes it was reassuring to watch it and see that his heart was still going strong. The doctors had promised them he hadn't slipped into a coma, but he was close. His mother had refused to leave his side, not that anyone could blame her.
"Have any of you read these before?"
The team had been taking turns sitting with him, both for protection and just to be with him. There wasn't really enough room for them all to be there at once, and using shifts meant they all managed to sleep at some point. As well as anyone *could* sleep, anyway.
"It's like the same nightmare all over again."
"No. This is worse."
Get well soon gifts had flooded the hospital within the first day he'd been admitted. It wasn't like they could have kept it a secret, no matter how hard they'd tried. The story of the kidnapping had leaked out barely a day after they'd realized he was missing. The only good thing to come out of it had been getting police assistance in arresting his kidnapper.
I've always liked you Carlos, even before I knew you were a Power Ranger.
I can make you happy. You just have to give me a chance.
Our children will be beautiful. We should name our first son after you, and then my father. I think he'd like that, don't you?
I love you. Don't you love me?
Well. ‘Good’ was a matter of opinion, really.
I made lunch just for you. I hope you like it. I'm a really good cook, everyone says so. My mom says I'll make someone a great wife someday.
You're beautiful when you sleep. I know, because I saw you fall asleep in class two months ago. You have such long eyelashes. They're so pretty. I hope C.J. has them, too.
I love you so much it hurts.
I can make you happy. I promise.
The girl wouldn't get away with it, no matter how mentally unstable she was. The media frenzy had taken care of that. No judge or jury would let off the girl who'd kidnapped and nearly killed the Black Ranger.
She wouldn't let them.
"Something wrong?"
"This sandwich tastes really salty for some reason."
She laid her head down on the bed, turning to stare at him as he slept. He hadn't moved in two days. Ever since they'd found finally found him, tied to a chair in a basement. He'd been shirtless, covered in glitter, and held in place by braided gold rope. At first they couldn't understand why he wouldn't wake up.
Then T.J. had found the stash.
"The Power is meant for healing physical injuries. Rangers have never needed to use anything else to stay healthy. So when it meets something man-made, so to speak ... "
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that the Power's reacting to the drug in his system. It's sending him into automatic overdose."
"How do we stop it?"
"We can't."
She closed her eyes, feeling a tear slip down her cheek. "Please wake up," she whispered.
"*Carlos*!"
****
"Still no update on the condition of Black Ranger Carlos Vallerte, after he was admitted to Angel Grove Community General in the wake of his kidnapping by Lauren Holman last Friday. Doctors say while Mr. Vallerte has not truly fallen into a comatose state as of yet, his condition is still very serious. Medical reports have conformed it is the result of an overdose of the drug gamma hydroxybutyrate acid, or GHB, also known as Georgie Home Boy or Liquid Ecstasy. Holman confessed to having added the drug to a sandwich she prepared as a gift for Mr. Vallerte. She was quoted as saying she and Carlos are soul mates, and she just needed some time alone with him so he could see it too. Miss Holman is currently being held by the Angel Grove Police Department in an undisclosed, secure location while she undergoes psychiatric evaluation.
"Meanwhile, Arsenia Vallerte, the Black Ranger's mother, has expressed her appreciation for the many prayers and get-well gifts her son as received throughout the community, as well as fans everywhere. If you would like to send your own gift, please mail it to the P.O. Box that has been set up for the Black Ranger. For those interested in donating to Mr. Vallerte's hospital bill, please call the phone number listed on your screen.
"While the remaining Power Rangers have not been available for comment, the Red Ranger, whose identity still has yet to be confirmed, was reportedly barred from the hospital after a member of the staff asked him for an autograph. Witnesses say he flew into a rage, shouting 'get out of my face', before physically throwing the man from the room. The staff member *was* unharmed, but the Rangers and Mrs. Vallerte have asked to have him replaced as one of Mr. Vallerte's caregivers. While Angel Grove General has submitted a formal apology to the Rangers, the Red Ranger has been unofficially asked not to return. All attempts to speak with the other Rangers about the incident have been unsuccessful.
"In other news - "
She turned down the volume with a sigh, staring blankly at the com screen as the reporter continued to drone on. The report wasn't entirely accurate, but it was better than they could have hoped for, considering the circumstances. Ashley would probably annoyed that they kept calling Ms. Vallerte 'Mrs.,' when Carlos father hadn't been part of his life since he was two, but she'd known him the longest. T.J. would probably just be irritated that Andros had actually made the news. Not that it was really his fault - any one of them would have probably reacted the same if they'd been the one the doctor had asked - but having the Red Ranger labeled as prone to violence wasn't exactly something they needed right now.
Not that it wasn't true, but still.
"Hey."
She glanced up at Zhane, only to have him plop down on her lap before she could respond. "Zhane, you're heavy," she protested half-heartedly. "Move."
"Liar," he retorted, already curling up to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "You could hold two of me."
"Doesn't mean I want to," she grumbled, making no attempt to move him.
They stared at the T.V. in silence for awhile, watching the reporter go on about something to do with politics. Cassie wasn't really listening to be sure what it was. She should probably be paying attention, but couldn't find the energy to care.
"You get used to it," Zhane said suddenly. He'd started playing with her hair at some point, running his fingers through it and twirling the ends in circles.
She tilted her head just enough to glance up at him. "Hmm?"
"The reporters," he clarified, nodding at the comm. "People wanting to know every detail of your life. You get used to it eventually."
It was hard to imagine. "Did you?" she asked quietly, leaning her head against his chest.
She felt him shrug. "I was born into it. The son of a Power Ranger family? People talked about my birth for years. I was almost more of a celebrity than my parents. And when I became a Ranger? We had to hire security guards just for the ceremony, and we had to interview all the security guards to make sure they weren't going to cause any leaks. It was crazy."
The corner of her mouth quirked, but it wasn't really a smile. "So is that why you love being the center of attention?"
He humphed. "I said I was *used* to it, I didn't say I liked it."
She found that a little hard to believe. "But you were smiling when everyone found out who we were, after ... " She paused, swallowing at the memory. "After the golden wave."
"I was smiling because that's what everyone wanted to see," he informed her. "We'd just defeated Astronema and saved the planet. We were supposed to be happy." He paused. "Uncle used to say that people will believe in what they want to see. If they want to see Rangers that are happy to have saved their lives, that's what they get. They don't want to know what's really going on."
She frowned a little. "Then what were you really thinking about?"
"Right then? I was thinking about Zordon's goodbye, and that Andros was still missing. I was scared that he'd done something stupid, and I'd never ... " She felt him swallow. "I'd never see him again."
She wrapped her arms around him the best she could in the awkward position they were in. "I'm sorry," she murmured, feeling guilty. Why hadn't she noticed then? She'd seen Ashley's fear; why hadn't she caught Zhane's?
"You heard Zordon say goodbye?"
They both looked up at the soft voice to see Karone watching them from the doorway. Zhane nodded. "Zordon was ... " He stopped again, shaking his head. "I knew him for most of my life."
She looked solemn. "I'm sorry."
Zhane shrugged slightly. "Not your fault."
Karone shook her head. "You don't know that."
"Neither do you," Cassie pointed out. "You said you didn't remember the last few months."
An odd expression came over Karone's face. "I can still read a computer log," she said quietly.
There was a moment of silence. At last Zhane held out an arm to her. "Come 'ere. We're trying to squash Cassie to prove how strong she is."
Cassie humphed. "And Zhane's trying to tell me he's not heavy."
Karone stared at them, and for a moment Cassie was afraid she wouldn't buy it. Then she raised her eyebrows skeptically in an expression that was disturbingly Andros. "There's no room on the chair," she informed them.
"So sit on me," Zhane argued.
She gave him a look. "I don't want to hurt Cassie."
For some reason, that made Cassie smile when nothing else had yet. "Thank you. At least someone cares about me." She shoved playfully at Zhane's shoulder.
Zhane threw up the hand that wasn't wrapped around Cassie's back in exasperation. "You're not going to hurt her! She's a Power Ranger. She could lift half the team if she had to."
"How do you know?" Cassie countered. "Have *you* lifted half a team before?"
He glared down at her. "My aunt," he said firmly. "I was nine, watching from the bridge. Scaffolding on an old building fell out from underneath them. She held up my parents and two of my uncles before Uncle came to help."
"Your aunt?" Karone tilted her head as she finally came closer, sounding curious.
He nodded, snagging her hand and pulling her on top of them. "Bridret. Pink Kerova Ranger. She had the morpher before Cassie."
Cassie grunted slightly as Karone more or less fell on Zhane. But she had to admit once they both stopped moving, it wasn't as bad as she'd thought it would be. Not that she was going to admit it. "Bridret?" she echoed. "You've never mentioned her name before."
He shrugged slightly, wrapping his free arm around Karone to prevent her from slipping. "They were always 'aunt' or 'uncle' to me. We only used names for emergencies, and most of the time we used nicknames instead."
Karone blinked at him, leaning in closer to balance them both better on Cassie's lap. "Nicknames?"
"Mother liked nicknames. She said it was like giving someone their real name once you knew them better."
Cassie couldn't help herself. "What was yours?"
"Glitterbug. Cayden was Sprite." He smiled a little, but his eyes were sad. "If Mother had her way, we probably wouldn't even have been named when we were born, but Father wouldn't let her."
Karone reached up to squeeze his shoulder. "You have a sister?"
He nodded. "Younger by six years."
"Where is she?" Cassie asked softly.
Zhane let out a long sigh, and she felt sorry she'd asked. "I'm not really sure," he said finally. "We ... " He stopped, swallowed, and tried again. "My family disappeared when KO-35 was invaded. Cayden, too. I've heard rumors that there's a Kerovan member of the Bavari Rangers, but with everything ... I haven't been able to confirm if it's true or not."
"I heard that, too," Karone agreed, studying him. "Purple."
"Purple?" Cassie blinked. "I didn't know there were Purple Rangers."
For some reason, that made Zhane grin down at her. "What, you thought just because Zordon never brought a purple coin to Earth they didn't exist?"
"Well, how was I supposed to know?" she argued, scowling back at him. "I only met him once, and it's not like he really talked to us!"
There was a pause, and Karone gave Zhane another curious look. "You said you knew him?"
Zhane sighed quietly, nodding again. "Even though he was stationed on Earth for so long, Zordon still kept in touch with other planets. He gave my family advice tons of times. He even sent a projection for the ceremony when Andros and I got our morphers." He paused, and that sad look was back. "Andros told me once that Zordon spoke to him often after the invasion. I guess he was looking for the Kerova Rangers, but when he found out Andros was all alone ... " He trailed off for a moment, finally shaking his head. "I guess he realized that Andros needed someone to talk to, even if he didn't know it himself."
"I'm glad he did," Cassie said softly, trying not to imagine what Andros would have been like in the wake of the invasion, and losing Zhane. One more thing she owed Zordon for.
The thought reminded her of the New Year's Eve party, and the bleak expression on Andros' face when he said that he'd killed Zordon. It was followed by the memory of his breakdown when they returned to the megaship, when he'd choked out that Zordon was his friend, and he'd destroyed him. She closed her eyes, heart aching. Oh, *Andros* ...
"Did I know him?"
Karone's soft voice broke through her thoughts, and she opened her eyes to see the other girl's curious expression as Zhane shook his head. "No," he told her. "You and Andros lived in the country with your father. Andros didn't move to Keyota until he was thirteen."
Cassie frowned. "Why did he move?"
"He thought it would help him find Karone."
She winced, wondering why she hadn't thought of that. "Oh."
" ... I have a father?"
The honest confusion in Karone's voice was *painful*. Her expression was the same, as if she'd never even considered the idea that she had parents before. Astronema had been searching for a brother, not a family.
Zhane hesitated, pulling her closer. "Yes," he said finally. "But ... he disappeared in the invasion. They never found a body, and he lived far enough out in the country that he could have ... " He stopped himself, shaking his head. "But Andros was pretty sure he didn't make it."
Karone nodded slowly, as if this was no more than she'd expected. "And our ... mother?"
He shook his head again wordlessly.
She nodded again, but there was something in her eyes that made Cassie want to hug her tighter. "I see."
Zhane tightened his arm around her, leaning forward just enough to rest his chin on Cassie's head. Karone leaned into him in return, and Cassie wrapped her arms around them both as best she could in the sudden silence. She tried not to think about Karone and Andros and the parents Karone would never know, or Zhane's missing family and his sister that may or may not be alive. She tried not to think about her own family, because no matter how much she suddenly wanted her parents, things were still awkward, and it just made seeing them even worse than not seeing them at all.
She closed her eyes, fighting tears, and tried not to think about Carlos, silent and still in his hospital bed.
"We should hold a press conference," Zhane mumbled eventually. "We need to clear the air before any more stories start to spread."
"Or Andros hurts anymore hospital staff," Karone agreed quietly, letting out a surprisingly contented sigh.
"We can't go back to school again, can we?" Cassie said softly, although it wasn't really a question. "We ... we can't be ... normal, anymore."
She felt Zhane kiss the top of her head. "No," he said simply. "You can't."
Tears pricked her eyes, and Karone kissed her cheek in silent apology. She hadn't tried to actually *say* she was sorry for what she'd done as Astronema ever since T.J. had warned her she wasn't allowed to feel guilty, but she had found other ways to express what she was thinking. If she'd had more energy, Cassie would have reminded her again that it wasn't her fault.
Her communicator beeped.
She glanced at it, blinking rapidly for a moment. Her left arm was still wrapped around Karone. "Zhane, could you - "
He reached around. "Cassie's communicator," he offered brightly, contrasting the solemn look in his eyes.
"Guys," Andros' voice announced. "Carlos is awake."
Or just 'cause I was thinking about it, so I made one. Either way. ^.^V
Akume: -Looking over Cataclysm- I also apparently need to make a decision about this schitzophrenic tendency I have to randomly italicize comm conversations.
Title/: Cataclysm
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Relationship/: Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, mentions of Cassie/Phantom
Rating/: K+
Warnings/: emotional trauma, mentally disturbed people, depression
Disclaimer/: If I owned the Power Rangers, this universe would exist. We would have known who the Phantom Ranger was - and it *would* have been a girl because I'm weird like that - and team snuggles would be mandatory every episode. As none of that is cannon, it's safe to assume that I don't.
Summary/: When Astronema was defeated, the Astro Rangers gave up more than their Powers. Reporters, fans, and long-lost relatives are coming out of the woodwork as the team struggles to adjust to it all. Bright Skies Universe.
Theme/: #63. Nightmares
Author's Notes/: This chapter was greatly influenced by this picture. (Unfortunately, unless you have a DeviantArt account to prove you're over eighteen, you won't be able to see it. But accounts *are* free, and there's some jaw-dropping artwork to be found here regardless.) It's probably the reason this ended up a *lot* darker than I'd originally intended for it to be.
There has been debate as to whether or not the city of Keyota on KO-35 is cannon or was created by starandrea. I don't know which it is, but either way, I stole it from somebody.
Much love and appreciation to rosabelle for help with stalker love notes. You are a highly disturbing woman.
For purplestripe66, because I love you. Thank you for making me smile. ♥
She sat beside the bed, carefully holding his hand. "Hey," she greeted softly. "They say you're doing a lot better today."
"Oh, hi Ms. Vallerte! ... Ms. Vallerte, slow down. I can't - "
"What do you mean Carlos never came home? He didn't call?"
"They gave us a bunch of numbers that didn't make any sense to me, but Andros said they were a good thing." She frowned down at him. "I'm trusting Andros about something to do with numbers. You'd better not decide now's the best time to prove him wrong, you hear me?"
"Carlos, come in. Can you hear me?"
"Don't worry, Ms. Vallerte. We'll find him."
"Guys, this is Cassie. Has anybody seen Carlos?"
She stared at him for a moment, biting her lip as her eyes burned. After a moment she began to stroke the back of his hand with her thumb.
"Zordon's wave took out every evil being in the nearest four systems. If anything beyond that had tried to come to Earth, we would have already known about it."
"That's because what took him wasn't necessarily evil."
" ... Karone? What are you - "
Her eyes fell on the monitor next to the bed, watching it beep steadily. The line continued the way it had since they'd brought him here. The way it had ever since D.E.C.A. had informed them that Carlos needed care she couldn't provide.
"Did anyone notice Carlos never got one of his letters today?"
"What do you mean?"
Sometimes it was reassuring to watch it and see that his heart was still going strong. The doctors had promised them he hadn't slipped into a coma, but he was close. His mother had refused to leave his side, not that anyone could blame her.
"Have any of you read these before?"
The team had been taking turns sitting with him, both for protection and just to be with him. There wasn't really enough room for them all to be there at once, and using shifts meant they all managed to sleep at some point. As well as anyone *could* sleep, anyway.
"It's like the same nightmare all over again."
"No. This is worse."
Get well soon gifts had flooded the hospital within the first day he'd been admitted. It wasn't like they could have kept it a secret, no matter how hard they'd tried. The story of the kidnapping had leaked out barely a day after they'd realized he was missing. The only good thing to come out of it had been getting police assistance in arresting his kidnapper.
I've always liked you Carlos, even before I knew you were a Power Ranger.
I can make you happy. You just have to give me a chance.
Our children will be beautiful. We should name our first son after you, and then my father. I think he'd like that, don't you?
I love you. Don't you love me?
Well. ‘Good’ was a matter of opinion, really.
I made lunch just for you. I hope you like it. I'm a really good cook, everyone says so. My mom says I'll make someone a great wife someday.
You're beautiful when you sleep. I know, because I saw you fall asleep in class two months ago. You have such long eyelashes. They're so pretty. I hope C.J. has them, too.
I love you so much it hurts.
I can make you happy. I promise.
The girl wouldn't get away with it, no matter how mentally unstable she was. The media frenzy had taken care of that. No judge or jury would let off the girl who'd kidnapped and nearly killed the Black Ranger.
She wouldn't let them.
"Something wrong?"
"This sandwich tastes really salty for some reason."
She laid her head down on the bed, turning to stare at him as he slept. He hadn't moved in two days. Ever since they'd found finally found him, tied to a chair in a basement. He'd been shirtless, covered in glitter, and held in place by braided gold rope. At first they couldn't understand why he wouldn't wake up.
Then T.J. had found the stash.
"The Power is meant for healing physical injuries. Rangers have never needed to use anything else to stay healthy. So when it meets something man-made, so to speak ... "
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that the Power's reacting to the drug in his system. It's sending him into automatic overdose."
"How do we stop it?"
"We can't."
She closed her eyes, feeling a tear slip down her cheek. "Please wake up," she whispered.
"*Carlos*!"
****
"Still no update on the condition of Black Ranger Carlos Vallerte, after he was admitted to Angel Grove Community General in the wake of his kidnapping by Lauren Holman last Friday. Doctors say while Mr. Vallerte has not truly fallen into a comatose state as of yet, his condition is still very serious. Medical reports have conformed it is the result of an overdose of the drug gamma hydroxybutyrate acid, or GHB, also known as Georgie Home Boy or Liquid Ecstasy. Holman confessed to having added the drug to a sandwich she prepared as a gift for Mr. Vallerte. She was quoted as saying she and Carlos are soul mates, and she just needed some time alone with him so he could see it too. Miss Holman is currently being held by the Angel Grove Police Department in an undisclosed, secure location while she undergoes psychiatric evaluation.
"Meanwhile, Arsenia Vallerte, the Black Ranger's mother, has expressed her appreciation for the many prayers and get-well gifts her son as received throughout the community, as well as fans everywhere. If you would like to send your own gift, please mail it to the P.O. Box that has been set up for the Black Ranger. For those interested in donating to Mr. Vallerte's hospital bill, please call the phone number listed on your screen.
"While the remaining Power Rangers have not been available for comment, the Red Ranger, whose identity still has yet to be confirmed, was reportedly barred from the hospital after a member of the staff asked him for an autograph. Witnesses say he flew into a rage, shouting 'get out of my face', before physically throwing the man from the room. The staff member *was* unharmed, but the Rangers and Mrs. Vallerte have asked to have him replaced as one of Mr. Vallerte's caregivers. While Angel Grove General has submitted a formal apology to the Rangers, the Red Ranger has been unofficially asked not to return. All attempts to speak with the other Rangers about the incident have been unsuccessful.
"In other news - "
She turned down the volume with a sigh, staring blankly at the com screen as the reporter continued to drone on. The report wasn't entirely accurate, but it was better than they could have hoped for, considering the circumstances. Ashley would probably annoyed that they kept calling Ms. Vallerte 'Mrs.,' when Carlos father hadn't been part of his life since he was two, but she'd known him the longest. T.J. would probably just be irritated that Andros had actually made the news. Not that it was really his fault - any one of them would have probably reacted the same if they'd been the one the doctor had asked - but having the Red Ranger labeled as prone to violence wasn't exactly something they needed right now.
Not that it wasn't true, but still.
"Hey."
She glanced up at Zhane, only to have him plop down on her lap before she could respond. "Zhane, you're heavy," she protested half-heartedly. "Move."
"Liar," he retorted, already curling up to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "You could hold two of me."
"Doesn't mean I want to," she grumbled, making no attempt to move him.
They stared at the T.V. in silence for awhile, watching the reporter go on about something to do with politics. Cassie wasn't really listening to be sure what it was. She should probably be paying attention, but couldn't find the energy to care.
"You get used to it," Zhane said suddenly. He'd started playing with her hair at some point, running his fingers through it and twirling the ends in circles.
She tilted her head just enough to glance up at him. "Hmm?"
"The reporters," he clarified, nodding at the comm. "People wanting to know every detail of your life. You get used to it eventually."
It was hard to imagine. "Did you?" she asked quietly, leaning her head against his chest.
She felt him shrug. "I was born into it. The son of a Power Ranger family? People talked about my birth for years. I was almost more of a celebrity than my parents. And when I became a Ranger? We had to hire security guards just for the ceremony, and we had to interview all the security guards to make sure they weren't going to cause any leaks. It was crazy."
The corner of her mouth quirked, but it wasn't really a smile. "So is that why you love being the center of attention?"
He humphed. "I said I was *used* to it, I didn't say I liked it."
She found that a little hard to believe. "But you were smiling when everyone found out who we were, after ... " She paused, swallowing at the memory. "After the golden wave."
"I was smiling because that's what everyone wanted to see," he informed her. "We'd just defeated Astronema and saved the planet. We were supposed to be happy." He paused. "Uncle used to say that people will believe in what they want to see. If they want to see Rangers that are happy to have saved their lives, that's what they get. They don't want to know what's really going on."
She frowned a little. "Then what were you really thinking about?"
"Right then? I was thinking about Zordon's goodbye, and that Andros was still missing. I was scared that he'd done something stupid, and I'd never ... " She felt him swallow. "I'd never see him again."
She wrapped her arms around him the best she could in the awkward position they were in. "I'm sorry," she murmured, feeling guilty. Why hadn't she noticed then? She'd seen Ashley's fear; why hadn't she caught Zhane's?
"You heard Zordon say goodbye?"
They both looked up at the soft voice to see Karone watching them from the doorway. Zhane nodded. "Zordon was ... " He stopped again, shaking his head. "I knew him for most of my life."
She looked solemn. "I'm sorry."
Zhane shrugged slightly. "Not your fault."
Karone shook her head. "You don't know that."
"Neither do you," Cassie pointed out. "You said you didn't remember the last few months."
An odd expression came over Karone's face. "I can still read a computer log," she said quietly.
There was a moment of silence. At last Zhane held out an arm to her. "Come 'ere. We're trying to squash Cassie to prove how strong she is."
Cassie humphed. "And Zhane's trying to tell me he's not heavy."
Karone stared at them, and for a moment Cassie was afraid she wouldn't buy it. Then she raised her eyebrows skeptically in an expression that was disturbingly Andros. "There's no room on the chair," she informed them.
"So sit on me," Zhane argued.
She gave him a look. "I don't want to hurt Cassie."
For some reason, that made Cassie smile when nothing else had yet. "Thank you. At least someone cares about me." She shoved playfully at Zhane's shoulder.
Zhane threw up the hand that wasn't wrapped around Cassie's back in exasperation. "You're not going to hurt her! She's a Power Ranger. She could lift half the team if she had to."
"How do you know?" Cassie countered. "Have *you* lifted half a team before?"
He glared down at her. "My aunt," he said firmly. "I was nine, watching from the bridge. Scaffolding on an old building fell out from underneath them. She held up my parents and two of my uncles before Uncle came to help."
"Your aunt?" Karone tilted her head as she finally came closer, sounding curious.
He nodded, snagging her hand and pulling her on top of them. "Bridret. Pink Kerova Ranger. She had the morpher before Cassie."
Cassie grunted slightly as Karone more or less fell on Zhane. But she had to admit once they both stopped moving, it wasn't as bad as she'd thought it would be. Not that she was going to admit it. "Bridret?" she echoed. "You've never mentioned her name before."
He shrugged slightly, wrapping his free arm around Karone to prevent her from slipping. "They were always 'aunt' or 'uncle' to me. We only used names for emergencies, and most of the time we used nicknames instead."
Karone blinked at him, leaning in closer to balance them both better on Cassie's lap. "Nicknames?"
"Mother liked nicknames. She said it was like giving someone their real name once you knew them better."
Cassie couldn't help herself. "What was yours?"
"Glitterbug. Cayden was Sprite." He smiled a little, but his eyes were sad. "If Mother had her way, we probably wouldn't even have been named when we were born, but Father wouldn't let her."
Karone reached up to squeeze his shoulder. "You have a sister?"
He nodded. "Younger by six years."
"Where is she?" Cassie asked softly.
Zhane let out a long sigh, and she felt sorry she'd asked. "I'm not really sure," he said finally. "We ... " He stopped, swallowed, and tried again. "My family disappeared when KO-35 was invaded. Cayden, too. I've heard rumors that there's a Kerovan member of the Bavari Rangers, but with everything ... I haven't been able to confirm if it's true or not."
"I heard that, too," Karone agreed, studying him. "Purple."
"Purple?" Cassie blinked. "I didn't know there were Purple Rangers."
For some reason, that made Zhane grin down at her. "What, you thought just because Zordon never brought a purple coin to Earth they didn't exist?"
"Well, how was I supposed to know?" she argued, scowling back at him. "I only met him once, and it's not like he really talked to us!"
There was a pause, and Karone gave Zhane another curious look. "You said you knew him?"
Zhane sighed quietly, nodding again. "Even though he was stationed on Earth for so long, Zordon still kept in touch with other planets. He gave my family advice tons of times. He even sent a projection for the ceremony when Andros and I got our morphers." He paused, and that sad look was back. "Andros told me once that Zordon spoke to him often after the invasion. I guess he was looking for the Kerova Rangers, but when he found out Andros was all alone ... " He trailed off for a moment, finally shaking his head. "I guess he realized that Andros needed someone to talk to, even if he didn't know it himself."
"I'm glad he did," Cassie said softly, trying not to imagine what Andros would have been like in the wake of the invasion, and losing Zhane. One more thing she owed Zordon for.
The thought reminded her of the New Year's Eve party, and the bleak expression on Andros' face when he said that he'd killed Zordon. It was followed by the memory of his breakdown when they returned to the megaship, when he'd choked out that Zordon was his friend, and he'd destroyed him. She closed her eyes, heart aching. Oh, *Andros* ...
"Did I know him?"
Karone's soft voice broke through her thoughts, and she opened her eyes to see the other girl's curious expression as Zhane shook his head. "No," he told her. "You and Andros lived in the country with your father. Andros didn't move to Keyota until he was thirteen."
Cassie frowned. "Why did he move?"
"He thought it would help him find Karone."
She winced, wondering why she hadn't thought of that. "Oh."
" ... I have a father?"
The honest confusion in Karone's voice was *painful*. Her expression was the same, as if she'd never even considered the idea that she had parents before. Astronema had been searching for a brother, not a family.
Zhane hesitated, pulling her closer. "Yes," he said finally. "But ... he disappeared in the invasion. They never found a body, and he lived far enough out in the country that he could have ... " He stopped himself, shaking his head. "But Andros was pretty sure he didn't make it."
Karone nodded slowly, as if this was no more than she'd expected. "And our ... mother?"
He shook his head again wordlessly.
She nodded again, but there was something in her eyes that made Cassie want to hug her tighter. "I see."
Zhane tightened his arm around her, leaning forward just enough to rest his chin on Cassie's head. Karone leaned into him in return, and Cassie wrapped her arms around them both as best she could in the sudden silence. She tried not to think about Karone and Andros and the parents Karone would never know, or Zhane's missing family and his sister that may or may not be alive. She tried not to think about her own family, because no matter how much she suddenly wanted her parents, things were still awkward, and it just made seeing them even worse than not seeing them at all.
She closed her eyes, fighting tears, and tried not to think about Carlos, silent and still in his hospital bed.
"We should hold a press conference," Zhane mumbled eventually. "We need to clear the air before any more stories start to spread."
"Or Andros hurts anymore hospital staff," Karone agreed quietly, letting out a surprisingly contented sigh.
"We can't go back to school again, can we?" Cassie said softly, although it wasn't really a question. "We ... we can't be ... normal, anymore."
She felt Zhane kiss the top of her head. "No," he said simply. "You can't."
Tears pricked her eyes, and Karone kissed her cheek in silent apology. She hadn't tried to actually *say* she was sorry for what she'd done as Astronema ever since T.J. had warned her she wasn't allowed to feel guilty, but she had found other ways to express what she was thinking. If she'd had more energy, Cassie would have reminded her again that it wasn't her fault.
Her communicator beeped.
She glanced at it, blinking rapidly for a moment. Her left arm was still wrapped around Karone. "Zhane, could you - "
He reached around. "Cassie's communicator," he offered brightly, contrasting the solemn look in his eyes.
"Guys," Andros' voice announced. "Carlos is awake."