1. Here we go, people: very last chapter of "Karone"!

As a token of my excitement, this chapter is uploaded on Thursday, instead of Friday.

2. I'm rather surprised that nobody reviewed "Both Sides Now". Or maybe you did, but accidentally deleted the reviews? I know they had such bugs lately. If so, can you please review again, or simply mail me? (If anyone is too lazy to check my email on my profile – if you're anything like me – my email's )

3. Cheers, and enjoy!

9. Freedom

"There is freedom within, there is freedom without

Try to catch the deluge in a paper cup

There's a battle ahead, many battles are lost

But you'll never see the end of the road

While you're traveling with me"

"Don't Dream It's Over", "Crowded House"

Ashley and TJ stared at Shiera.

"Astronema is Karone?" asked Ashley finally.

"She has a locket identical to Andros's. She remembers having a brother, but she was told that he and their parents were killed by Power Rangers"

"We know she's not completely evil", said Cassie, "Because she let Shiera go. She did, didn't she?"

Shiera nodded. "Yes", she answered quietly. "She asked me if I want to meet Carlos, and then told me that I have my chance. She told me to go". Shiera closed her eyes, forcing back tears. "I promised her I'd come back"

Carlos got to his feet and hugged Shiera from behind, kissing her hair. She leaned against him.

"She knew we figured out her spell?" he asked.

"I think she did. She was almost crying. She was certain I wouldn't return to her"

"Now I know why you love her" Cassie told Carlos, her gaze fixed on him and Shiera.

Shiera opened her eyes. "Because I felt obliged to the woman who turned me against the one I love?" she asked quizzically.

"Because you're fiercely loyal, and you have an uncanny sense for telling a good thing – or person – when you see them"

"Am I the only one who has a problem with Astronema's new indentity?" asked TJ.

"Yes" answered Ashley firmly, nodding. "She's Andros's sister and Zhane's love, and not even Dark Specter could corrupt her completely"

"Speaking of Zhane, I'd like to hear this part of this story", said TJ. "Zhane?"

"Oh, lay off him" said Ashley. "How would you feel if the girl you love just turned out to be your best friend's sister, instead of your mortal enemy?". With that, she set next to Zhane and cradled the still-shocked Ranger.

"As much as I'm dying to know how long Zhane and Karone have been dating, I agree with Ashley. My own memories of breaking down are too fresh", said Carlos.

Shiera turned her head to look at him. "You had a breakdown?"

"After our first fight against you" replied Cassie.

"Scared the hell out of us", added Ashley wryly.

Carlos blushed.

Shiera smiled and kissed his cheek. "That's so sweet", she said. "Anyway, you don't have to die of curiosity. I happen to know some Karone and Zhane's story. I don't know how they happened to fall in love, but it was the day the movie "Star Crossed Lovers" aired. She went down to Earth and met Zhane in her normal form – the "Tracy" look. They scheduled a date. Ecliptor sent Horror Bull despite Astronema's orders, and Zhane was late for their date. She didn't believe him that there was a monster, and they haven't spoken since, until I figured she's in love with him. "Strangling" Zhane was just a trick, so I could tell him that Karone still loves him and never sent that monster. Apparently they kept in touch while I was away"

"You sly girl", said Cassie. "You let us hang with "Tracy" despite knowing who she is"

"She's Karone"

Ashley giggled, rolling that day in her mind. "We were having such a masquerade!"

"Still not convinced, TJ?" asked Shiera.

He nodded. "There's no reason that a teenage villainess won't fall in love, and I don't think there's such a thing as a person who can't be corrupted, especially if they were little children at the time"

"She was crying when she told me to go", said Shiera quietly, "And she said that she wanted me to be happy. She closed her eyes so she won't have to see me leaving. Is that enough for you?"

"No" he said, and held up his hand to silence Shiera. "The fact that you like her is"

Everyone smiled at TJ: Shiera's smile tearful, Carlos's grateful, Cassie's proud and Ashley's relieved. TJ tried hard not to blush.

"Now that this issue is cleared…" said Carlos. He planted one last kiss on Shiera's forehead, then let got of her and picked Zhane from Ashley's arms. "Hand him over. I'll take him down to the infirmary and watch over him. Tell us of there's any news, but otherwise don't disturb, okay?" Without waiting for their confirmation, he strode out of the bridge.

Shiera helped Ashley up.

"I never apologized for trying to do you in, didn't I?"

"It's okay. You were paying me for being such a jerk to Carlos"

The three girls burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" demanded TJ. The only answer he received was a hug and a kiss on his cheek from Cassie.

"You are", she said, and doubled over with laughter, together with Ashley and Shiera, at his perplexed expression.

"What have I done, brother?"

"It's going to be alright". He kissed her cheek. "We're together now"

"Indeed so" came a new voice.

Andros and Karone looked in the direction from which the voice came. A golden mist passed, and they saw the owner of the voice. Her face were broad and strong, her cheekbones pronounced and her forehead high. She held herself proudly, but tears were streaming down the handsome face. Her hair was curled and full, vivid crimson like sunset sky. She wore a white-and-golden armor.

"Phoenix" breathed Karone.

The teenager shook her head.

"We all believed you died, Melissa" said Zordon softly.

"I'm sorry; I had to"

"I understand"

"I know you, don't I?" asked Andros in a strangled whisper.

She nodded, tears blocking her throat. "Yes, you do. Both of you" she finally managed to say.

"She is Yuria Melissa of Netherie, your cousin through your father's side", said Zordon.

"The entire population of Netherie was slaughtered 12 years ago", said Karone.

"I didn't know we had family on Netherie". Andros looked at the box he was still clutching in his hand, and breathed. He touched his finger to the red triangle of the emblem. "Red", he said, "For courage". The lock clicked. Andros opened the box, to reveal a long tear-shaped red crystal, hanging from a thin metal necklace. Andros lifted the necklace and stared at the crystal.

Karone looked at her brother's crystal, and then at Melissa, who brought a yellow crystal, shaped like Andros's, from beneath her armor. Karone touched her finger to the blue triangle. "Blue", she said, and licked her lips nervously, looking for the right word. "For…" She looked up at Zordon, who smiled and nodded approvingly. "…wisdom", she completed, and opened the box, to reveal a third, blue crystal, shaped like the others. She lifted it by its necklace. "It's chipped", she said.

"Like our memories" said Andros. His crystal, too, had a fracture.

"Mine is fractured too" said Melissa, who now stood right by their side. "They are fractured because we were separated forcibly"

"And I have the power to heal them" said Zordon. "When you will wear your crystals, children, your memories will be healed, too. Be careful to wear them only when you are safe, away from this ship, for the strain will put you out for a while". Zordon appeared to be taking a deep breath. "When you are ready, bring your crystals together"

They did so promptly.

Energy swiveled inside Zordon tube, taking shape. The shape become denser and denser, and finally a pure white energy copy of the three crystals left the tube and fitted itself on the actual crystals. The three teenagers held their breath as the energy penetrated them as well.

Zordon continued to pump out energy. Slowly, the current grow weaker and thinner, but none the brighter, until Zordon exhausted the core of power that kept him alive through ten millennia. When the brightness disappeared, they saw that the crystals were whole and glowing.

"I am dying now", whispered Zordon, "But I will not be gone. As my sister prophesied, you three carry on our torch. Melissa, my sister Oshra's child and heir; Karone," a fleeting smile passed on his lips, "My unexpected child, as my sister said you will be; and brave Andros, yours is the heaviest of burdens, yet it will make you equal with your twin…" Zordon closed his eyes and sighed. His image flickered as said his last words: "You were right, Oshra, she looks just like you…"

For a second, the three looked at the empty tube, alarms ringing around them, and then, before either girl could stop him, Andros slid the necklace over his head.

Melissa caught his unconscious body before it his the deck. "Oh, Andros", she sighed, pushing a lock of hair from his face, "Zhane is so not going to forgive me"

"Carlos?" asked Zhane tentatively. He was lying on the medical bed, and Carlos was sitting in a chair next to him.

"Yes?" answered Carlos.

"I'm sorry"

"About what?"

"Not telling you"

"You couldn't know she was good, Zhane"

"Not Karone; I'm sorry for not telling you what the p.s. means"

"It's okay, Zhane" assured him Carlos. After a very short moment, however, he asked: "Why didn't you?"

"Because I gave my word I won't tell"

"To whom?"

"Andros's parents, and another person"

"Who?"

"When the sun changes"

"What?"

"It's a name. Shiera didn't get it right. The message wasn't that they'd return at the time the sun changes, but simply "they'd return". "When the sun changes" is her"

"Hey", said Carlos softly. He patted Zhane's hair. "You should sleep, not tell secrets. Especially if they can wait"

Zhane closed his eyes.

"Andros and I weren't friends from the start", he said, after a few moments.

"What do you mean?"

"Karone was everyone he needed. I only managed to get close to him after she was kidnapped"

"You shouldn't be afraid that you'd lose him because she's coming back. You're her boyfriend, for Christ's sake"

"I'm not afraid"

"So what's eating you?"

A tear escaped Zhane's eye. "I promised to watch over him. It was my duty"

"Your duty?"

"Ever after she was taken. I gave my word, twice. They said I was the only one he'd let close enough. Ashley is close enough too, now, but I couldn't explain it to her"

"Explain what to her?"

"Ask her about the nightmares"

"What's wrong, Zhane?" asked Carlos as another tear slid down Zhane's cheek.

Zhane rolled on his side so he could face Carlos.

"He's not going to need watching over anymore. It's not because of Karone"

"The thing you can't tell"

"Yes"

"You really should sleep"

"Guess so"

Intuition prompted Carlos to promise: "I'm not going anywhere". He patted Zhane's shoulder. "I'm staying right here"

"I haven't been so scared since her planet was attacked" said Zhane, and with this mysterious comment he fell asleep.

Ashley, Cassie, TJ and Shiera were sitting in the mess over a pot of hot chocolate when Ashley's communicator beeped.

"Yes?" she answered.

"Ash, it's me", came Carlos voice. "I need to talk to you, but please keep your voice down: Zhane's finally sleeping"

"Okay", she said, voice hushed.

"Apparently, Zhane once gave his word to keep something a secret, so he couldn't really tell me what's wrong. He did tell me to ask you about the nightmares"

"The nightmares?"

"Yes; do you know what's he talking about?"

"It's too bad that I do. Andros has been having horrible nightmares lately. Zhane and I were sharing them. Zhane said it's because we're so close to him. We woke up every night with the nightmares, only Andros didn't remember having them. Zhane said that if we tell him, it might kill him. Apparently it happened before, when they were much younger"

"What were the nightmares about?"

"There's this battle field – massacre grounds, really – and a little girl who's trying to get away. She's four, maybe five years old, impossibly red hair. She keeps running and hiding. There are people who are trying to help her, but they're all killed by the monsters. And the bodies – they're all mutilated. It's scary. It's beyond scary"

"I'd imagine", said Carlos darkly. "I'll call you if I'll figure anything more, okay?"

"Okay"

"Search complete" informed DECA quietly.

"How many matches?" asked Carlos.

"Just one"

"Well, what is it?"

" "When the sun changes" may be the translation of the Eltarian name Melissa"

"Isn't that an Earth name?"

"In Greek, it means "bee". The Eltaran name is of independent origin, and is related to the Netheriet tradition"

"Related to what?"

"The Netheriet tradition is the set of believes held by the inhabitants of the planet Netherie"

"Didn't you say Melissa is an Eltaran name?"

"Netherie was first inhabited by Oshra of Eltar, and Eltaran was the official language there"

"What do you mean, was?"

"Netherie was attacked some 12 years ago. There are no known survivors"

Carlos bit his lower lip. Finally, he asked: "When was Netherie attacked, relative to Karone's kidnapping?"

"Netherie was attacked nine days after Karone was kidnapped"

"Is there a record of a Melissa of Netherie?"

There was half a minute of nerve-wrenching silence before DECA answered: "There were several citizens by this name"

"A small girl, four or fives years old. Red hair"

"There is one"

"What can you tell me about her?"

"She was the Yuria-to-be of Netherie"

"What's a Yuria?"

"The Yuria is the ruler of Netherie"

"What else can you tell me about this Melissa?"

"There is a picture of her. All other information is locked"

Carlos tapped his communicator. "Ashley?"

"Yes?"

He told her everything DECA told him. "DECA has a picture of this Melissa. Check it and tell me if it's the girl from the nightmares"

"Hold on a sec". A brief silence. "It's her. DECA, who locked those files?"

"They were locked according to Zordon's request"

"Curiouser and curiouser" muttered TJ over the comm. "Now what?"

"I'll bet my morpher that Phoenix is this Melissa person, and that she'll explain it all" came Shiera's voice.

"Guess so" said Carlos.

Next time: the third part of the "Shadow Line" trilogy – "Melissa"!

Oshra's prophecy is nearing its completion – or failure: those who were lost have returned, and now the Rangers and their allies face one last, deciding battle: but they cannot win while the sixth bearer is missing.