Disclaimer: Not mine

Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: Okay, so if I keep my promises, I think that means that I update soon and Ashley lives. I think I broke one promise already, and we'll just see about the other. Not in this chapter though. Like I said, I'm stalling. :P

Juzblue: The more he kills, the more powerful Samael is, and he just killed everyone on Onyx. Yeah, Cathan's Phantom. :P

Piper xox Leo: Nope, that's a very bad sign. :P

the-power-of-love: Thanks, here's more.

DizneeDol: Thanks. Here's some more, but I made you wait for it. :P

Chapter 22: No Turning Back Now

"Here they come," Aria murmured as five streaks of light appeared in the sky, landing near them. "No turning back now."

"Aria, wait," Cathan said suddenly. She turned to him with a questioning glance, a small noise of surprise escaping her throat as he grabbed her by the shoulders, his lips touching hers. "I love you."

Aria blinked at him, struck speechless for one of the few times in her life. A slow smile spread itself over her face and she laughed. "I figured that when you asked me to marry you... I love you, Cathan."

"Do you still want to?"

"Do I still want to marry you?" Aria paused. She was seventeen now, but she'd been twenty-two when she'd gotten herself engaged. They were both very different people now, but now was neither the time nor the place for this conversation. "If we survive the next hour, we'll talk."

"I'll take that as a yes," Cathan murmured as the other rangers joined them. Aria shrugged at him and grinned.

"Okay," she said, her tone authorative and completely calm. "Fanning out to look for Samael would be suicide. We stick together. He's killed many more times since we've last fought him, and that only makes him stronger. His mind control will have grown stronger as well."

Aria stopped talking abruptly, her eyes flickering anxiously to Cathan, almost pleadingly. He looked away, knowing what he was asking her, and knowing that he would never be able to do as she asked, should he be forced to make a decision.

Aria sighed heavily and looked back to the group.

"Ready?" she asked, her voice soft, but still strong. "White light power up!"

"Red light power up!"

"Blue light power up!"

"Green light power up!"

"Silver light power up!"

"Purple light power up!"

"Light power up!"

Cathan didn't say the color light he weilded, neither wanting to nor needing to. He was the Light itself, after all.

"Let's go," Aria said tersely. "Cathan?"

"Somewhere to the north," the black ranger replied, his crystal sensing their enemy.

"After you," Aria said, temporarily relinquishing command to him. He set off, leading them in a northeastern direction. "He's waiting for us?"

"Yes," Cathan confirmed. "He is."

"And Enni?"

"No sign of her... but then," he reflected, "he doesn't need her anymore."

"Now that's a happy thought," Aria murmured.

Andros listened to them exchange conversation so lightly, wondering how they could be so calm. Ashley wasn't even there, but his stomach was a mess of nerves. If they won this battle, then his wife and children were safe, but if not, then... He swallowed hard. Now was not a good time to break down.

They were following his lead. He was as disoriented as they were, but couldn't let it show, for fear that everything would fall apart just then. This was not the ideal situation for a showdown, and he knew that as well as anybody, but they had no choice. The Megaship had been shot down, and they had crash landed here on this forgotten rock of a planet. They were all shaken from the impact, but they had to fight.

"This way," he said. A silent 'I think' went unsaid but not unheard.

"Andros?"

"Huh?"

He blinked, and found himself a good ten feet behind everyone else. Running to catch up, he tried not to dwell on what he had just seen. Even as he tried to forget, he knew what it was, and he knew that there would be more, and worse, he knew how it would end.

"What was that about?" Aria asked him.

"Nothing," he lied. He would have given anything to make it nothing, but all he could do was pray that it would stop right there. Aria didn't say anymore, and he wondered how much she knew.

Even as they skidded to a halt, he could see the dark shadow that stood in front of them. Their enemy stepped forward into the light to meet them, victory already in his eyes.

He had kept walking this time, he saw, and he bumped into Gabriel as the others halted. Shaking himself to break the chains of memory, Andros took his place with the others, who were waiting for Aria's order.

"There," he heard her hiss to them, jerking her helmeted head to the right. "Ready...attack!"

"Ready?" he asked, thankful that his voice came out steady. Somehow, he knew that this would not be an easy fight.

"Ready," they responded, and as one, they attacked.