Power Rangers In Space/Power Rangers Lost Galaxy, Heather Ray [best novels ever TXT] 📗

cheek. I close my eyes, forcing the tears that gathered there to drip to the statue's feet.

"Can the spell be broken?" Kai questions.

I shake my head sadly. "I cast the spell, and I no longer have the power to break it. I...don't know if it's even possible anymore, given how many years he's been enchanted. I don't know of any magic that can free him."

I sniffle like a small child, the guilt of my actions knotting in my stomach. Suddenly, I can hardly breath anymore. I stare into granite eyes, searching for the merest flicker of consciousness. I know his soul is still trapped in this shell...can he possibly hear me?

Even if he can't, I must get this off my chest. "I'm...so sorry," I sigh, my voice hitching on my silent sobs. "I know words sound so hollow, but I don't know what else to do. By trapping you and killing Beruch, I rid the galaxy of two great heroes, and I bathed my soul in your blood. I...I wish I could take your place. I wish I could free you..."

Through my watery eyes, I see a flicker in that stone gaze. Did I just see that? Did I just feel that? Or is it only my imagination?

"Kai," I whisper, "please, help me to that boulder?"

Together we move to a boulder sitting near the mouth of the cave. He slowly lowers me, and I try to settle as comfortably as possible on the cold, hard surface.

"Are these the Keys?" Kai asks, pointing to the two gleaming triangles in the warrior's hands.

I nod in response, and Kai easily pulls them from the loose granite grip. Without the ghost, there is nothing holding the Keys back.

"Kai, I have to ask you a big favor."

He glances at me, his eyes overtly wary. "What?"

"I would do this myself, but..." I wince as my movement causes another shudder of pain, "..I don't...have the strength."

The world begins to spin dizzily around me, and the throbbing in my head becomes audible. I think... I've used up all my strength.

"Kai, I need you to shatter the warrior. Free his spirit."

"What??"

Kai shouts. His voice is shocked and appalled, but oddly enough, not as loud as I would've thought. I'm...I'm slipping...

I'm desperate to get this final deed done, and I speak as clearly as I can. "Kai...please. We can't break the spell. He's been trapped in this stone coffin...for years." I pause to try and catch my breath, but my lungs won't cooperate. "Break it... spirit can escape... leave this world behind...find Beruch."

Exhaustion makes my eyelids impossibly heavy, and I just can't keep them open anymore. But I hear Kai's morphin' call, and the flash of bright blue power pierces the veil before my eyes. I struggle desperately, and manage to open my eyes just in time to see the Blue Quasar Saber crash into the stone statue at the base of the neck.

A single tear escapes as the statue shatters into a pile of rock, just as ordinary as the other stones that litter the cave ground. For the briefest moment, I'm saddened that the monument had to be destroyed, but it's the only way to free the spirit within.

Then, I see energy coalesce above the stones. I hear a soft voice, and I'm thrilled that I am privileged to hear it one more time.

I forgive you. Now, you must forgive yourself.

I want to thank the warrior for his mercy, but when my mouth finally opens, all I can do is exhale. And then, the weight of my body becomes so great I can't hold it up any longer.

Part Nine: Choices

Chapter Thirty-Seven

-Karone-

I open my eyes, and the first thing I see is a light so harsh I wince in reaction.

Memory rushes back to me like a river. Kai and I went on a mission to retrieve the sacred Keys. We met the ghost of Beruch, who tried to kill me. Incredibly, we convinced him of our noble intentions. We found the Keys, and freed the warrior who held them.

He even...forgave me.

I'd never dared to hope for forgiveness. Not from a warrior I'd bound in a petrification spell, whose partner I murdered.

I shake off the thought. The deeds were done, and I can't take them back. But now that I've dealt with the repercussions, and faced both master and apprentice, I can put the guilt to rest. It's like...a muscle I've been tightly flexing can finally relax.

It's an incredible feeling.

"Careful," a voice chides. "No sudden moves or you'll hurt yourself."

I turn toward the voice, and Leo's wide grin greets me.

"You're okay!" I smile in return. "So the Keys worked?"

He laughs. "That's the understatement of the year! The Keys gave my powers a super-charge, and it looks like a permanent upgrade." He raises his morpher, standing from his chair. "Wait 'til you get a load of the Red Armor..." His voice trails off, a calculating look on his face as he considers the delicate equipment of the Megaship's infirmary. "Uh...I'll show you later."

I resist the urge to laugh, knowing it would most likely hurt to do so. My fingers lightly trace my side, grazing soft bandages.

"You really saved our bacon," he continues. "By the time you and Kai got back, Magnetox had already drained everyone's powers, and flattened four blocks of the City Dome. It was close." His gaze meets mine, warm and unguarded. "Thank you."

The sincerity in his eyes only makes his gratitude more pronounced, warming my cheeks. I immediately wave it away. "You should thank Kai; he did all the work. I was unconscious half the time."

"That's not how he tells it."

I blink. "How does he tell it?"

Leo then nods toward the door. "Why don't you ask him?"

My eyes widen to see Kai standing in the doorjamb. His face is about as expressive as stone as he enters the infirmary, taking a meaningful glance at the wall clock.

"I've got seventeen minutes left in my break," he says. "Leo, would you mind...?"

"I'll make myself scarce," he promises, winding around my cot. With a quick wave, he disappears into the hallway.

Silence settles as Kai approaches me. He stops several feet from where I lie, his arms folded against his chest.

"A lot happened on that planet," he understates. "We need to talk about it."

I nod, carefully rising to sit on the cot. I don't know what Kai's about to say, but whatever it is, it'll be easier to deal with if he isn't towering over me.

I meet his eyes, noting how guarded and wary they are. This is difficult for him, but there's really nothing I can say to make it easier.

"I've never been good at beating around the bush, so let me get to the point. We are not

friends."

I can't help a rueful grin. As if I had any doubt...

He notes my expression, and shrugs. "I just want to make sure you understand that. I mean, I'll admit that my opinion of you has... changed, but not by much."

I nod slowly.

"I'm not trying to be stubborn or unreasonable, and I don't want to hold a grudge," he resumes, "but at the same time, I need to be realistic. I can't just pretend you're not Astronema."

I open my mouth to protest, but he raises his hand, effectively interrupting my interruption. "I know you're different, now. I thought you were trying to pull the wool over our eyes at first, but now I know you've honestly changed since I saw you in Angel Grove. And I admit, part of me can even respect what you're trying to do. But still, no matter how good your intentions are, that doesn't just undo

everything you once did. You're still responsible for the deaths of thousands of human beings, and that doesn't count all the people from other planets who died in the Countdown, and before. We're talking about millions

of lives here. I won't forget that."

He pauses, and slowly, my gaze sinks to the floor, unable to meet his eyes any longer.

"But, on the other hand, I also can't ignore that you're different now. I'm...comfortable that you won't do those kinds of things again. If you still had evil tendencies, Kendrix never would've let you take her Saber. She decided you're capable of standing in as the Pink Ranger. I trust Kendrix enough to trust her judgment...even about you. And so far you've proven that you're an asset to this team. If you hadn't known about those Keys, I don't think we would've saved Terra Venture this time."

His hand rises, slowly kneading the bridge of his nose. "This...this doesn't sound nearly as coherent as it did in my head," he admits in a tired voice, and his exhaustion strikes me. How many hours has he contemplated this discussion? How long has he wrestled with his worries, trying to balance justice with mercy, trust with caution, gut instinct with reason?

"I'm sorry, Kai," I murmur helplessly. It's all I can say, though I know I've said it a hundred times before.

"I think we're beyond apologies," he responds. I finally raise my eyes, and note the determination in his deep brown gaze. "Okay, Karone, the bottom line is this: my first duty is to Terra Venture. As an officer on this ship, and as the Blue Ranger, I'm responsible for the people who live and work here. And my responsibility for the living has to come before my responsibility to the dead. I'm making a choice, right here, right now, to focus on protecting the living, instead of seeking justice for the dead."

He pauses, letting it sink in. "No matter how much it hurts to admit it, you're a good Ranger. You're good for this team. Your being here has helped us save thousands of lives. So... I won't fight it anymore.