Disclaimer: Not mine
Princess Emmie: Here's more. : )
DV2: Sorry, there's going to be a lot of mushy chapters, but this one has action.
Juzblue: Sorry it took me so long to update. The next chapter will be up in a day or two, I promise. : )
dancer1: As long as you're reading. : )
Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: They'll stay adorable together, I promise.
Jenny: I don't know why Andros said "I love you" first. I just kinda like having him say it first, because he's too much of an idiot to know for sure if Ashley loves him or not, so it's kinda fun. It's also kinda fun calling Andros an idiot. And I CAN write a story that you don't guess. Well kinda. In Twist of Fate, the parts that aren't about Andros and Ashley you didn't guess. Yay! Sorry. : ) I've apologized to half the people I'm responding to. WHY? Anyway... Yeah, I think all writers of Andros/Ashley stories have a psychic connection, or at least we're all very intuitive to each other's stories. Ya know, if everyone who loved Andros/Ashley stories worked together, that would be the most awesome story ever.
Melissa: Um... I don't really remember what Zhane looked like, except that he was blond, and I think his hair was kinda spiky. I'm pretty sure his eyes were blue, and if they weren't, they are now.
Chapter 19
Angel Grove - One Month Later
"I will see you again," Ashley whispered, pressing her fingers against his lips, keeping him from saying what she didn't want to hear. Andros nodded, understanding, resisting the urge to kiss her. It took almost all the strength he had left, but he knew that if he did, he wouldn't be able to go.
He took a step back, trying to distance himself from Ashley. She started to take a step forward, then stopped, and for one awful moment, he thought that she was going to speak again. Silently, he begged her not to, knowing that if she asked him to stay, he wouldn't be able to refuse her, and if he didn't go, there was no other chance.
Tears welled up in Ashley's eyes, and she let them fall freely, never taking her eyes off of Andros. He took a deep breath, and turned away from her, waiting until his helmet covered his face before letting a few tears slowly trickle down his face. Taking one final look at her, he left, praying that she wouldn't die here, that he could stop it all in time, placing all of his faith on her last words to him. I will see you again.
As she watched him disappear, Ashley felt as though someone had wrenched her heart out. He'll be fine, she tried to convince herself, not letting herself think about what would happen if he wasn't. Living her life without Andros had become unimaginable. Briefly, she touched the necklace that Andros had given her for her birthday, just a few weeks ago, hoping with all her soul that she would see him again.
Choking back her sobs, Ashley turned slowly, and walked listlessly to the 'shelter' the rangers had assembled.
"He's gone, isn't he?" Zhane asked softly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Ashley nodded, her face crumpling.
"Do you need some time?" Carlos asked quietly.
Ashley took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "I'll be fine," she said shakily. "We don't have enough time to waste."
Carlos cast her a skeptical look, but nodded.
"Okay," TJ said. "This is what we need to do..."
The Dark Fortress
Andros discarded his Battelized armor as he slipped quietly onto the battleship, dropping silently to the floor. He drew his Astroblaster quickly, checking to make sure that there was no one around before he set off down the hall, searching for any sign of Karone.
Nearly panicking when he heard foosteps, he hid himself in a corner, firing in the opposite direction, immensely relieved when the Quantrons and Ecliptor filed past without paying him any notice. However, as he turned to lock the door, Ecliptor saw him, and cried out, "Red Ranger!"
Andros spun, firing his Astroblaster. None of the shots hit, but they held Ecliptor back long enough for Andros to seal the door shut. As he stepped into the room, the noise Ecliptor was making trying to break down the door faded, and he founded himself surrounded by an eerie quiet that was louder than anything he'd ever heard before.
"Andros."
"Zordon?" Andros gasped. "What are you doing here?"
"Shatter my energy tube," Zordon directed him. "Quickly, there is not much time left."
"I can't," Andros said. "Don't ask me to do it. There has to be another way."
"There is no other way," Zordon said firmly. "You must do it."
Angel Grove
"We are the Power Rangers," TJ shouted, his voice carrying through the suddenly silent ruins of Angel Grove.
"Ready?" Zhane cried, standing in for Andros.
"Let's rocket!" they shouted together.
"Destroy them!" Astromena shrieked, before vanishing.
The rangers leapt down off the rooftop, more than ready to end the battle that had gone on for far too long. Ashley knew that she should be concentrating on the fight, but it was impossible to keep her mind from wandering to Andros. It felt wrong fighting without him. She'd grown so used to watching his back, and having him watch hers, that now she was almost having to relearn it all over again.
"Ashley," Zhane shouted. "Look out!"
She spun out of the way just in time to evade a Quantron's blow. Pay attention, she told herself sternly. It wouldn't do Andros any good to come back and find her dead. Forcing herself to be aware of her surroundings, she continued fighting mechanically, her body knowing exactly what to do while her mind was struggling to comprehend exactly what was going on.
The Dark Fortress
"You!"
"Karone!" Andros cried, whirling as his sister appeared. "It's me, Andros."
"Goodbye, brother," Astronema laughed.
"Karone, no," Andros pleaded, trying to defend himself without harming his sister.
Astronema sent a well-placed shot at him and he fell back, landing hard, finding himself staring up into his sister's hard eyes. "Karone!"
He didn't mean to deflect the blast back at her. He hadn't realized that he'd raised his Spiral Saber to defend himself, but he had, and the lighting flew back at Astronema, who had no way to defend herself. The instant she fell limply to the ground, Andros knew that she was dead, but he tried in vain to wake her. He couldn't have killed Karone. He just couldn't have.
"Look what you've done!" Ecliptor shouted, managing to break through the door at last. "And to your own sister."
"It was an accident," Andros said dully. "I didn't mean to."
"Red Ranger, you will pay for this," Ecliptor vowed. Without another word, he charged at Andros, who fought back listlessly, guilt already weighing heavily on him.
"Andros, you must destroy my energy tube," Zordon intoned.
"Right," Andros said. He'd been thrown across the room as a result of one of Ecliptor's hits, and Ecliptor could do nothing to stop him as he raised his Spiral Saber.
"No," Ecliptor shouted as Zordon's energy tube was shattered. From it, a bright light radiated, spreading, growing, completely surrounding Andros. As it shot through the universe, Andros could see the evil crumbling, and the cries of triumph, relief, and sadness that came from the rangers that defended it.
Numbly, he took the controls, bringing the Dark Fortress down to Earth, knowing that he would have to face his friends sooner or later. He landed the ship smoothly, and turned, lifting his sister's lifeless body in his arms. The door hissed open, and he descended the steps slowly, very aware of the fact that what seemed like the entire world was staring at him.
"Andros!" he heard Ashley shout, and then he saw his friends forming a wall around him as he set Karone's body down gently. Raising his eyes, he saw them staring back at him, stunned. Bowing his head, Andros felt tears dropping from his eyes.
"Andros?"
His eyes shot open as he heard his sister's voice. "Karone?" he gasped out.
"How did I get here?" Karone blinked her blue eyes, dazed.
"It's a long story," Andros said, helping her to her feet and hugging her tightly. Then the other rangers surrounded them, and he felt Ashley throw her arms around his neck.
"Are you okay?" he asked her, holding her close.
"I told you I'd see you again," Ashley said shakily.
Gently, Andros brushed his lips over hers, whispering in her ear, "I love you."
"Come on," TJ said, loudly enough to penetrate their conversation. "We've got work to do."
"Right," Andros said, composing himself enough to break away from Ashley and take charge again. "Let's clean up." Ashley nodded, but she stuck by his side as they began putting the world back together again.
The Megaship
Several hours later, Andros fell back on his bed, exhausted after several hours worth of work, but not the least bit tired. He knew that he would have to return to KO-35 and help them rebuild their world as well. It didn't seem right just leaving the Earth, shirking their duty to repair the damage that had been done, but they had all decided to keep the team together, wherever they went.
He sighed. The next few months were going to be long.
"Andros?" He smiled as he heard Ashley's voice fill his head.
"Can't you sleep?" he asked her.
"No," she replied. "How about you?"
"No," he said.
"Want some company?"
"I'd love some," he admitted, standing up to open the door for her. Ashley sank down onto his bed, and curled up in his arms.
"I love you," he whispered in her ear. "So much."
"I love you too," Ashley whispered back. "Andros, I was so scared that you were going to get yourself killed, and I'd never see you again."
Andros kissed the back of her neck gently. "Don't worry, Ash. I'm fine. It's all over now."
Ashley rolled over and kissed him. Andros kissed her back, his lips claiming hers over and over again. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked her suddenly several minutes later. She gazed up into his eyes, and saw a mixture of love and longing.
She hesitated for a brief second as her head and her heart argued back and forth. Then she looked up into his eyes again, and all her doubts vanished. "No," she whispered, the word barely out of her mouth before Andros kissed her again. Slowly, she let him become the center of her entire universe, as everything else disappeared but them.
