AH/AY: Well, he's either dead or possessed. Either way it's bad. Ashley's happy? You better read.
Mz. Daydream: FIVE BUNNY POINTS! Yes, you win. You are actually the only one who guessed so it wasn't that hard.
Arwennicole: Read. That's all I can say without giving away part of the story.
jenny: Yes, it was sad. But that was the only thing I could think of to happen to T.J. I hope he fogives me.
GreenDayFan1: Hey! Welcome! You're just in time! Anyway, I do feel bad about T.J., but I needed to do something to him. Don't worry, it all turns out okay in the end. Just read. Also, kudos on reading all 12 chapters in one sitting!
Phantom Rogue: Yup, only two left. It makes me kind of sad. I might write a sequel though, just because I had so many ideas for this story and only used a few of them. If I don't do that I will probably write something else in PR. Don't worry! I will (probably) return! Now read, a lot happens in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Author's Note: Read and enjoy!
Be Careful What You Wish For…
Chapter 13 - Surrender
"He's been possessed by Maligore?" Galactus asked. He was having breakfast with his father who had been visiting for two days. He had told the tyrant that Ashley had been completely worn out from her "late-night duties," and was being allowed to sleep in. In reality Ashley had slept as far away from Galactus as possible. She had even woken up screaming from a nightmare and refused to let him comfort her.
"Yes, isn't it wonderful? I would love to see the looks on the other Rangers' faces when they find out. It seems though, that your Ranger won't care."
"Why not?" Galactus asked through a mouth full of fruit.
"Because all she seems to see in all the universe is you. I daresay she had feelings for you before you gave her that potion, she looked like she did at the banquet."
"Really? I hadn't noticed." In reality Galactus had noticed Ashley's every move that first night he'd seen her.
"Oh yes, she avoided your gaze completely, a sure sign of interest."
Just then Ashley walked into the room. "Oh yes, I almost forgot," Dark Specter said. "I thought the love spell looked like it was wearing off a bit, so I had one of my mages make a stronger version."
"What?" Galactus asked, spraying wine all over the table.
"A bit much before was she? Well don't worry, it will wear off in a few hours and you can go back to your old one if you really liked it better."
"But-" Ashley had already reached the table and was sitting in Galactus' lap, trying to pull open his tunic.
"I insist you go try this out before it wears off, you'll hurt the poor girl's feeling if you don't. Plus she looks about ready to take advantage of you right here. Have a fun time, my son, I must leave for Phaedos now, it seems Dulcea is giving Rita and Zedd more trouble than they can handle."
Galactus sighed and picked Ashley up, this seemed to make her very happy and she began kissing his neck. When he reached the room he unceremoniously dumped her on the bed then went to sit at his desk, arms folded and a stern expression on his face.
"We are not going to do this Ashley," he said evenly.
"Why not?" Ashley asked, her voice taking on a low quality that made shivers go down Galactus' spine.
"Because you are under a spell-"
"I don't care," she laughed, coming over to him.
"You will tomorrow."
"Not if you cast the same spell again," she said, almost asking him to with her eyes.
"You don't want that," he stood and pushed her away.
"Yes, I do. I'm finally free to love you-"
"You're just saying that because the spell-"
"Who cares? I am enjoying this, and you could too if you would just-" she began fiddling with his belt.
"No! Ashley," he stopped, looking in her eyes for the first time that morning. The light that had been in them was gone, she was nothing more than an animal now, trained to love him. "Go to sleep," he said and zapped her with an energy bolt. He caught her in his arms and laid her gently on the bed. He then turned to his desk to contact Ecliptor.
ooo
"That's right," Galactus said. The rescue team had been at a loss as to what to do ever since coming back to the ship from Earth. They had not expected Galactus to call them hours after the event and tell them to come to his ship as fast as they could.
"You want us to come and get Ashley?" Jeff asked, torn somewhere between suspicion and relief.
"Before she wakes up if possible," Galactus said, his voice tight. "I want you to take her and go. I heard about your friend, and about the wishes. I want you to take her and go make another wish, fix this world. None of you should ever have been subjected to any of this." He looked over his shoulder then and sighed. "Please hurry."
The connection ended. "It could be a trap," Phantom said.
"No," Jeff said, "I don't think it is. But I agree with him, nothing as bad as all of this happened in the last reality, we should try to make things better, for everyone."
"I concur," Justin said.
"Me too," Cassie put in. Eventually all the Rangers agreed, then set a course for Eltaire and Ashley.
ooo
Ashley woke up in a bed she had never been in, in a room she had never seen. She was about to cry out when she saw her brother sleeping in a chair a few feet away.
"Jeff!" she cried, racing over to give him a hug.
He returned the hug in earnest, only letting her go when she began begging for air.
"What happened?" she asked. "How did I get here? And for that matter, where is here?"
"Galactus called us, he wanted us to come and get you and take you with us when we went to try and make another wish to change things. We're on the MegaShip, it belongs to the Astro Rangers."
"He called you?"
"Ya, do you know why?"
"No, I-" memories slowly began to surface. She had woken up the day before feeling hungry, but not for food, for… Galactus! She had thrown herself at him, many times and he had refused, even sent her back to her brother to try and change history, again. "Oooh," Ashley groaned and put her face in her hands.
"What happened?" Jeff demanded. "Did he hurt you?"
"No, it was Dark Specter."
"WHAT!" Jeff jumped to his feet.
"No. Galactus told him I had been given a love potion so Dark Specter wouldn't try to hurt me and Dark Specter didn't think it was working well enough so he cast a love spell on me…. It doesn't matter Jeff! We just have to fix things!"
"Fine, but we're talking about this later," he turned to walk out of the room, then stopped and turned back. "If we can't change history that is."
ooo
Dark Specter had apparently heard of the Rangers' last ditch plan, though the had no idea what it was and what part his son had played in it, and was racing after them with all the troops he could muster. As the only person without powers Ashley was sent to the surface to seek out the wish granter and to make the wish herself.
She found the clearing and fell into the hole easily enough, but figuring out what to wish for was more difficult. Jeff had told her what the last two wishes had been, but Ashley couldn't figure out any way to word the next wish to take care of those problems without creating entirely new ones.
She paced the chamber, wondering what her wish should be; what would save her friends, save the universe, and keep the lives of every Ranger from there to Onyx fromm sucking?
She had no idea.
She could think of no wish that would set things right, mainly since she had no idea what "right" was in this situation. Finally, she decided that someone else would have to make the wish to save the universe; all she could do was remind them of what had been. It was not the Ranger thing to do, but it was the only thing she could do.
"I wish," Ashley said firmly, "that, as if it were a dream, everyone who knows about the wishing or ever did would remember what has come before."
ooo
Dark Specter could not very well have brought Zordon so close to the Rangers, so he had left the Morphin Wizard in his son's care.
"Galactus," the floating head said, "you will never be happy this way. I know you feel for the Yellow Ranger and that you know she can never be with you if you remain evil."
"They could make it," Galactus said, careful not to mention just what they could make it to.
"To the woman on Vega 3 who grants wishes you mean?" Zordon asked.
"How-?"
"My present state allows me to sense the changes, even if I do not fully remember what has come before. If they do not make it you will never be happy, and neither will she."
"You don't know that."
"You and she are bound to one another. One without the other is not whole. Neither of you can be happy this way, with one of you evil and one of you good."
"She could turn evil," the dark prince protested half-heartedly.
"How? She is a Ranger; it would take much to turn her and keep her turned."
"I have access to the resources needed-"
"Galactus," Zordon said gently. "She would not love you."
The prince lifted his head; he had not realized it had dropped. "What do you suggest?"
"Shatter my tube."
"What!" Galactus cried. He gave the Morphin Wizard no chance to answer, "You're telling me that to be with the woman I love, I have to kill the man she views as a father?"
"Yes," the wizard said simply. "It is the only way."
"But-"
"Galactus. Andros," Zordon said gently but firmly, "it is the only way."
Galactus reached for his sword. "You're sure?" he asked, hoping against hope that the answer would be one he liked.
"Yes. Hurry."
Galactus closed his eyes and swung the sword in a wide arc.