Disclaimer: Don't own them don't make any money off of them.

A Walk in Red Shoes

Ashley woke up two days later in the hospital. Her father sat in a chair sleep with the paper over his lap. Her mom was freshening up her cup of water; she dropped the cup when she saw her daughter's eyes open up. "Ashley." she cried. She rushed over to her child. "Ashley" she repeated. Ashley opened her arms to her mom's body. The two female Hammonds hugged each other rocking gently on the bed. "I thought we had lost you." her mother said she kissed her baby's forehead. "Thank God your alright. Your friends told me that you saw someone in trouble and you risk your life trying to save them from some of those metal monsters. You have such a caring heart but you could have been hurt worst than you are now. Why Ashley?" her mom ask.

"Sorry mom things are kinda different now." Ashley replied, "And I feel they are just going to get worst." she said to herself. "Mom I'm fine now so when do you think I can get out here?" Ashley asks. Her mom looked at her with a funny look. "Just like you to experience something bad and ready to go out there the next day. I'm sorry young lady but your staying right here for at least for another few days. And I don't want to hear anything else about it." Mrs. Hammond said laying her daughter back on the bed; Ashley rolled her eyes.

TJ jumped off his galaxy glider on to a roof where the Blue Turbo ranger fought with crab monster. "Sorry I got her late I just finish off another one of Astronema's monster near the elementary school." TJ said panting, he bent over to catch his breath. As soon as the yellow space ranger was not active in ranger battle Astronema sent at least two monsters every four hours. Her plan to destroy the blue space ranger would have been successful, if the blue turbo ranger hadn't picked up his morpher aiding TJ in battle. "Don't worry about it. Astronema has been keeping us in over time." Justin said, "What do you say we finish this now?" Justin said summoned his two hand blasters. "Right. Astro Axe Booster Mode!" TJ said, he summoned his space weapon both blue rangers aimed their weapons at the Crap monster. The combine attacked of the two blue rangers destroyed the crap monster in a small explosion. Both rangers were tired from their battle, but they would soon leave to face another monster.

Ashley looked around her room pretty much where her eyes could see were flowers. "Mom you kinda went overboard with the flowers." Ashley said. Her mom looked around the room she chuckled to herself. "Oh these no us. Your friends from school, mainly TJ." Mrs. Hammonds said. Ashley thought back to that day when she tried to take on Astronema's forces by herself how TJ came to rescue her. "That reminds me dear. I haven't seen Carlos, Cassie or your new friend Andy I think it was," she said.

"Andros mom, I'm feeling kinda tired I think I'll get some more sleep." Ashley said closing her eyes. "Ok." her mom said she kissed Ashley on the forehead. Mrs.Hammonds woke her husband up telling him that their daughter was ok but just needed to rest. Mr. Hammond agreed with his wife's decision for Ashley staying there for a few days. "All right honey I need to get to work call me if anything happens." he said kissing his wife he leaves for work.

Another monster falls in an explosion at the hands of the two blue rangers. Justin falls on his back weaken by the fighting he has endured today. TJ drops to his hands and knees he too has endure much today. Aboard her ship Elgar pesters Astronema about her army rapidly decreasing. "Astronema if you keep sending monsters down there soon that will leave just me." Astronema laugh at the fact of Elgar fighting the rangers. "If I keep sending down my monsters the rangers will be so weak that even you could destroy the rangers." Astronema replied.

"I don't know I have been known to take the simplest task and still screw that up." he commented.

TJ knocked at Ashley's door she looked up at him from her bed. "Hey Ash how you holding up?" he asked. Ashley sat up in her bed. "Fine, what about you I see you must limp there." she said. The boy played off his limp he tried to walk straight but his foot was in too much pain. Ashley slid over allowing the boy to sit at beside her on the bed. "Well I'm doing as well as one ranger against the empire of evil could be. Justin is helping me the best that can." TJ said, "But um enough about me what do the doctors say?" TJ ask.

"Um My body just gave out in the battle. My arms and my back were in terrible pain. So they got me on pain medication. I guess I should say thank you but you were just doing your job right?" She asked. TJ eased his way off the bed standing before her. "Rangers first" she said repeating what he said days ago. "Yeah, rangers fist." he said softly he left her sitting on the bed. Half hour later TJ was at the surf spot with Justin they were enjoying meal together.

"Ok TJ you have been quiet since came from seeing Ashley. Is everything alright with her?" Justin asks he popped another fry in his mouth. TJ looked up from his sandwich that he hadn't touch. "Oh yeah she's fine. But it's still same. At first it seems like maybe we could move on from the incident. Although we had a civil conversation for about ten seconds I got out of there before it change. How did it get to this point? Rangers dead two friends no longer friends?" TJ asked. He wasn't looking for an answer no one could give it to him not even himself. "TJ don't beat yourself up this is all a result of Astronema's attack." Justin said.

Four days later Ashley surprise TJ by showing up for their American Lit class on Friday. Their teacher handed out their exams. Both rangers received A's on the midterm test. "Good job" TJ said to Ashley she flash him a smile then looked back at her exam. The rest of the class period the teacher went over the answers on the midterm explaining them to the class. Afterwards the two teens walk to their next class. The distance between the two of them a whale could swim by them. TJ was tired of the silence and the distance he pulled Ashley into an empty classroom. "Look Ashley we're going to have to figure out things between us. I don't want another repeat performance of earlier this week." TJ said. Their communicators beeped in the classroom, TJ held his communicator to his mouth. "We're listening." he said.

"Astronema is back at it again. I've sent Justin already to the courtyard." Alpha said. "We're on it. Let's Rocket" TJ said summoning his morpher. The two space rangers rushed up to the fight. "Can anyone joined the party or do you have to have an invite?" Ashley said pointing at the quantrons. "TJ Ashley look out" Justin scream. Ashley somersaulted while TJ back flipped out to the way of the monster's attack. It was a rhino monster with anvils for hands. "Anvil smash" the monster grunted. Ashley kicked the monster in the back, his tough skin absorb her kick. The monster swung his right hand around slapping the ranger in the helmet. Ashley flips over to her side landing on her sore arm. A sharp shooting pain rises up her arm. Anvil lifts his hands over the ranges body ready to slam them into her side. TJ tackled the monster down to the ground. The two rolled around on the ground, TJ moved the monster away from Justin and Ashley.

Justin helps the yellow space ranger to her feet. "You ok?" he asks. She gives a thumb up signaling that she's ok. The quantrons charged at the two rangers, Ashley cartwheels into a group of quantrons. Justin kicked two quantrons, punched another one in the chest before he pulled out his auto blaster. Ashley blocked the attack of a quantron's kick with her leg. Ashley right jabbed the quantron in the nose. Ashley spin kicked the quantron on her right side. She jumped back to dodge the attack of the quantron her left side. She elbowed the back of the neck of the quantron dropping her foe. More quantron run her way the girl pulls out her astro blaster. She fired four blasts at the quantrons. Two quantrons fall but the others continue their charge at the yellow space ranger. Justin fires his auto blaster on the quantrons around him. Seeing Ashley in danger Justin runs to her side but is stopped by a few more quantrons.

TJ backed away from Anvil's attacks. TJ blocked Anvil's anvil hand with his Astro Axe but the strength of the Anvil knocked the ranger's weapon out of his hand. Anvil body punched the blue ranger TJ kneeled over. Anvil bashed the ranger on his back, TJ dropped to his knees. Anvil pushed the ranger on his back with his foot. Mounting the ranger Anvil lifts one of his hands in the air. Justin clears a path to fire on to Ashley's quantrons. "Ashley goes help TJ. I'll be fine." Justin said being tackled by two quantrons. Ashley looked at Justin being pummeled then looked at TJ about to be destroyed. "Oh what do I do?" she asked. She made the choice to help TJ, the ranger bumped into the monster pushing him off the blue ranger. "Looked like you needed a hand," she said extending her hand. TJ grabbed her hand pulling him off the ground. "Thanks."

Ashley charged at the monster firing her Star slinger on the monster, the monster's body jerked with each blast. TJ flips over Ashley's head with a charged Astro Axe in his hand. Anvil tries to block the attack with his anvil hands but the weapon is stronger breaking the anvils and slashing the monster down the chest. The force of the explosion pushed TJ back a few steps. "Come on I left Justin with a gang of quantrons." Ashley said rushing back to the blue turbo ranger. TJ followed behind her they both reached the area where they fought the quantrons. Two quantrons had Justin, who was no longer morphed, capture by his arms. A silver box similar to the one in the warehouse a few days ago was before the ranger. Astronema stood beside the captured ranger. "Before he was just bait. Now he has become as big a thorn in my side as you rangers. And you know how I treat thrones" Astronema said opening the box. The air grew cool all of a sudden; TJ's experience a flashback to the planet where the harvestors took his friend's lives.

TJ pulled out his Astro blaster but it was knocked out of his by Elgar's sword, which appeared beside Astronema. The Harvestor was release from his box entering the twelve-year-old boy. Justin head jerked backwards his eyes and mouth glowed bright white slowly dimming by the harvestor. The light disappeared the harvestor returned to the box. Ashley felt weak in her knees, her body started to tremble. TJ grabbed on to her teleporting her and himself to the Mega ship. "Those rangers are so done for." Elgar said picking up his sword. Astronema didn't feel annoyed with Elgar at this moment. "Your right Elgar it's only a matter of time before I defeat the last two remaining power rangers then takes over the galaxy." Astronema laughed.

Ashley and TJ sat in the main control room on the Astro ship. Alpha console Ashley over Justin's death. "It's all my fault Alpha I let him down, I let myself down." she said tears streamed down her cheek. "No Ashley, This was all apart of her plan. She set everything up so that at least one of you wouldn't return. If not Justin then TJ wouldn't be here or even you." Alpha said. Finally the Ashley was put in the position that faced many red rangers before her and would be after her. She stood walked over to TJ she wrapped her arms around him. "Oh I've been acting like a complete idiot. It wasn't until now that I understood the choice that you made back on that planet. But it just wasn't then was it of course not. This is what you went through when Tommy passed his powers on to you." Ashley said letting go of the ranger.

"Yes although it may seem like us red rangers have the coolest weapons and get all the breaks. We all share the biggest burden of all rangers. We are the ones who have to make the decision and live with the result of our choices. Sometimes you have no choice but to abandon one in order to save others. After we met Andros we talked for ours about everything. He offer me a chance to take over as Red ranger since I was just the red ranger." TJ said.

"Why didn't you?" Ashley asks stunned. She always assumed like many that TJ maybe had resented Andros for being a Red ranger. TJ cracked a small smile, "One thing about being a good leader is knowing what makes your team the strongest. Andros was from space all our battles has involve fighting on other planets while searching for Zordon. It only made sense that Andros remain as the red ranger." TJ answered.

"I've misjudged you. Ranger History will say you were the second turbo ranger after the great Tommy Oliver. But you TJ will be to me one of the greatest if not the greatest red rangers and all around person to me." Ashley said. "Wait Andros was just going to give you his power?" Ashley asked.

"The space powers are like the Turbo powers anyone could wear the morphers. Becoming power rangers. Differing from the Power coins and Zeo crystal which was infused into the Tommy, Zack, Adam, Kim, Kat, Billy, Trini, Aisha, Tanya, Jason, Rocky powers. The only way new rangers could take over would to use special items to transfer their powers into new rangers. But our powers we just hand over out morphers. Of course if we get the other four-astro morphers then we can have four new rangers. D.E.C.A set a course to Organa." TJ said.