Chapter 22: The Spell Part III: Escaping

Andros woke up and felt like somebody just stepped on him with needles on the bottom of their shoes. He looked to his side and saw a sphere sitting there, he saw Ashley still lying in her infirmary bed. "Ashley," he whispered. She was starting to look worse, and he saw Zhane sitting next to her bed again. Andros knew he didn't get sleep, because he looked exhausted. He smiled as Karone dragged him out of the room so he could get some sleep. Then he watched as Dana and Carter came into the room. As if on cue, as soon as they entered the room, her heart monitor went off. "ASHLEY!" He yelled. The sphere disappeared and Andros looked over at the yellow crystal ball. The light was fading.

"Yes, soon the Yellow Energy will disappear and the Yellow Ranger will be dead. I am slowly killing her with my powers, Red Ranger. She'll die and then you'll belong to me," she laughed.

Andros struggled against his chains. "I don't belong to anybody. I'm not property," he snapped.

"Well, you are now," she sighed.

She then walked out of the room and Andros lowered his head. For the first time in two years, Andros was crying. He was crying because he knew that if he didn't do something soon, Ashley would die and he'd die along with her. He didn't tell Ashley this little thing about their relationship the day he married her. On their wedding night, their souls became as one. If one died, the other person would die. This was very rare among anybody. Andros and Ashley found each other and they were bound together by destiny. They were to be together through all eternity. Now, as Ashley lied in the infirmary bed dying, Andros was hanging on that wall dying as well. Zafina would regret killing Ashley, because she'd kill the man she wants.

Vypra stood by Andros's cell and listened to the Red Ranger's sobs. She grinned evilly and walked away.

Dana sighed in relief when they got Ashley back under control. Ms. Fairweather came in with a sad frown. "What's wrong?" Dana asked.

"I just got Ashley's test results. It seems that whatever spell Zafina put on her not only knocked her in a coma, but it's slowly killing her," Ms. Fairweather replied.

Carter and Dana looked at each other. "We have to get Andros out of that castle. We have to bring him back here. Ryan was lucky that he survived that Cobra Curse. I won't lose my two friends because of a jealous witch," Dana insisted. Carter nodded and placed a hand on her shoulder. Captain Mitchell stood there listening to the whole thing. "Father, let Carter and me go. We are the only hope for Andros and Ashley," Dana added. Captain Mitchell nodded and they left the room.

Andros coughed as his torture was finished again. Diabolico and Loki had just finished their daily beatings they'd give him. He's been trapped in this place for nearly a week. All he wanted was out so he could save Ashley.

Carter and Dana entered the palace and started listening for signs that Andros was around here somewhere. Just then, batlings and robot soldiers surrounded them. Dana started fighting them and pushed Carter towards the cells. "Go get, Andros. I'll hold them off," she insisted. Carter watched her fight for a second and ran to save Andros.

Andros looked up when he heard his cell door open and looked up to see Carter standing there. "Carter," he groaned. Carter unlocked his chains and the Red Space Ranger fell into his arms.

"Come on, we've got to get you out of here," he insisted.

"Not so fast," Zafina sneered.

Carter looked up to see Dana in Zafina and Vypra's grasp. "If you leave with that Ranger, you'll lose this one," Vypra threatened. Andros tried to stand up, but his legs gave away.

"Let her go, Zafina. She isn't part of this," Andros insisted.

"Well, you see that's where you're wrong, Andros. You see, when I teamed up with Vypra, all rangers that were fighting with you are my enemies," Zafina stated.

"Just let her go, Zafina," Andros repeated.

"Forget about me, Andros. Just go," Dana insisted.

"We're not leaving you here," Carter snapped.

"You have no other choice. If you don't go now then Ashley will be gone forever," Dana pointed out.

"What will it be, Red Ranger, Andros, or the Pink Ranger?" Zafina asked.

Just then, a blast came out of nowhere. "DANA!" Ryan yelled. He grabbed his sister's free arm and hurried over to Andros and Carter. "Now that we have what we wanted, let's get going," he added. Andros grabbed the crystal balls before they escaped. There was no way he was going to lose his wife and his best friend.

"NO!" Zafina yelled.

They went through a portal and came back to the city. Andros couldn't remember what happened after that, he fell unconscious then.

When he opened his good eye, he saw the most beautiful person sitting on the edge of his bed. "Ashley?" He murmured.

"Shh, it's okay, Andros. I'm here," she assured him.

He sat up and hugged her tight. "I thought I had lost you," he whispered. She hugged him back and felt the tears on her shoulder. He could feel the same on his own shoulder. He sat back after awhile with her help, because of the pain. "What happened?" He asked.

"Well, they saw the stones you had brought back. When Zhane took his, the dang thing broke in his hand and the silver energy was absorbed into his body. They gave me the yellow stone and it broke when it touched me and the yellow energy was absorbed into my body. You've been unconscious for three weeks," she explained.

Andros then remembered what happened. "Carter, Dana?" He asked.

"They're okay. However, she's not talking to him," Ashley replied.

"What, why?" He asked.

"Dana thinks that Carter should've left her behind to save you than sit there and stare at the enemy like an idiot.

Andros held her hand. "Ashley, you have to talk to Dana. Bring Carter to me. I think I know why Carter did what he did," he told her. Ashley looked at him. "Okay, I admit, my telekinetic ability had me read Carter's mind that day. Carter's in love with her. He's deeply in love with Dana. You have to talk to Dana and see if she feels the same. I'm going to talk to Carter about it too," he added. Ashley nodded and left. Andros sat back with a smile. He was alive and so was his wife. That's all he needed.