Chapter 44

"You should be on Earth with your friends."

"So should you," Zhane countered. "They're your friends too."

Andros couldn't believe what he was hearing. Zhane had really come here, bent on saving Astronema—who made a sound of derision, uninterested in being saved. Andros exhaled silently. He should've known, and yet… he hoped. He always hoped.

"That's why I'm here," Zhane said.

"You'll regret this."

"I already do," he said. "It smells awful in here."

Silence.

Andros peered around the edge of Zordon's tube, taking in the scene from his hiding spot. He wasn't in Zhane's line of sight. His friend wouldn't know he was there. Astronema's back was to him; he couldn't see her face. He could read her posture, though; her back was straight, her grip on her staff was tight as she aimed it at Zhane's chest. If Zhane thought that he could put her at ease with his presence, Andros didn't think he was succeeding.

"Zordon himself can't stop me," Astronema said. "What chance do you think you have?"

Andros held his breath, but Zordon remained silent.

"Dark Spectre's gone," Zhane said. "You don't have to do this."

"Dark Spectre is gone because I destroyed him." Astronema's voice rose. "No one tells me what to do. Time's up."

There was a crackle of lightning and a bright flash as Astronema struck Zhane in the chest with her staff. Andros's heart stopped as he watched his friend crumple and he sprinted forward, but his sister was already gone, her form wavering as she teleported away without noticing him.

"Zhane!"

He lay motionless on the floor, silver suit gone. Visions of KO-35 swam before him and Andros shook his head, blinking them away as he felt for Zhane's pulse with trembling fingers.

"Andros?" Zhane's bare hand covered his gloved one. "What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same thing." His voice was shaky with relief.

"Had to try." Zhane struggled to push himself up. Andros pressed a hand to his back, supporting him.

"You're okay?"

"Can't feel a thing." Zhane winced as he clutched his side, but he let Andros take his hands and haul him to his feet. "What are you doing here?"

"Darkonda."

"Ah." Zhane's eyes slid past Andros, widening as he saw. "Zordon? Is it really you?"

"Yes," replied the wizard. "Andros, Zhane. There is little time."

"I can't," Andros said. "I can't destroy you."

"Dest—what?" Zhane's eyebrows rose. "What are you talking about?'

"I'll explain later."

"There is no other way," Zordon said.

"But—"

"Red Ranger!" Andros whirled around to look into Darkona's grinning face. "I knew you were around here somewhere."

"Darkonda," he growled.

"Ah, and the Silver Ranger joins us."

Andros edged in front of Zhane, blocking him with his body as Zhane readied his morpher. "This is it, Darkonda," he said. "This ends now."

"It'll be my pleasure to destroy you," Darkonda said, and lunged for him.

Andros brought his saber up, meeting Darkonda's sword with a clang that reverberated through his body. Behind him, Zhane cried, "Let's rocket!" and leapt forward, his own sword slicing through the air as he came to stand at Andros's side.


"This is incredible," Carlos whispered, and Ashley nodded in awe.

They hadn't wanted to involve the citizens of Angel Grove, but in the end the choice hadn't been theirs to make. The people of Angel Grove—their friends, their family—had chosen to involve themselves. They had no morphers, no weapons, and yet they faced Astronema as bravely as any Ranger, as one by one they declared themselves to be exactly that.

Was her brother out there, Ashley wondered, fighting now even though he'd never had his chance to be a Ranger? She hoped so.

"You guys," TJ said, grabbing Carlos's arm. With Andros still missing, he'd slipped easily back into his old role as their leader. "Come with me."

Ashley exchanged glances briefly with Carlos and Cassie as they followed him towards the edge of the teeming crowd. She didn't know what he had in mind until he pointed to a low rooftop and began climbing the rubble to reach it. It hit her then, and she paused with one hand on a piece of cement taller than her head.

He meant for them to reveal themselves.

It was a terrifying thought. Crazy, even. It violated one of the central commands they'd been given in exchange for holding the Power, and yet…

She took the hand Carlos offered her, letting him pull her up, and then she reached down to help Cassie up behind her.

KO-35 had known who its Rangers were, she reasoned. And so did Aquitar, and probably dozens of other places she hadn't yet seen or heard the same time… they'd promised. But she saw no other way.

She didn't hear the command Astronema gave, but she heard the explosions as she leapt the last few feet onto the rooftop, and she heard the screams as people started to turn and run. When she turned around again, the scene before her was pandemonium, people fleeing and dodging as Astronema fired over the crowd.

"Hold it right there." Somehow, Carlos's voice carried over the chaos.

For an instant, things were still.

Ashley stared out into the crowd. She searched, but she saw no one she recognized, only a blur of unfamiliar faces. She'd seen and heard some of their friends—Adelle, Bulk and Skull—just moments ago, but she'd lost them in the crowd somewhere. She hoped everyone she loved was still out there, staring back at her.

"Ready," TJ said, with a calmness that Ashley envied.

She drew herself up.

"Let's rocket," they shouted together, and then the ground rushed up to meet her as she leapt from the rooftop and back into the fight.


Andros took a kick to the stomach and fell, grunting. He landed on his hands and knees, and Darkonda tossed him out of the way to deal with Zhane, who spun deftly out of his way and dropped to one knee to fire at Darkonda.

Behind him, a control panel exploded as he dodged the blast and then he drew his sword, but Andros scrambled to his feet and tackled him before he could swing.

His own saber was knocked from his grasp in the commotion, and he dove after it. Andros caught the handle with his fingertips and leapt back to his feet—only to find himself facing Astronema, not Darkonda.

He froze.

"I see you found him, Darkonda," she said evenly.

"Karone," Andros whispered. This was the closest he'd been to her since the day he'd lost her again. She was so… pale. Her face was almost white, the starkness heightened by the contrast of her dark armor.

Her eyes flashed. "I am Astronema."

There was no hesitation, no conflict in her voice. And yet, she sounded almost regretful when she looked at Zhane and said, "You should've left when you had the chance, Silver Ranger."

"That doesn't sound much like me, does it?" Zhane's voice was grim, though Andros had the most bizarre sense that he was smiling beneath his helmet.

Andros gripped his saber, drawing her attention back to him. "I know you're in there," he said. "I know you can hear me."

Astronema lunged without warning, her staff arching towards him. Andros dropped to the floor just in time to avoid her strike. Overhead, the air whistled as her staff sailed by above him. He rolled as she swung downwards net, kicking the end of her staff away from his body.

Darkonda charged him from the side and Andros stepped backwards, and then Zhane was at his side again, helping fend them both off. "Andros, look out!"

Darkonda grazed him in the side and Andros stumbled with a cry of pain. Zhane grunted and threw himself against Darkonda, pushing him back just far enough that Andros could steady himself. He touched his ribs with his saber hand, groaning, but he could still move and he could still breath—but he'd given Astronema an opening. She took advantage of it and kicked him hard, sending him flying halfway across the bridge.

Andros landed hard on his back. His hand opened as he fought for breath, and his saber rolled away.

In front of him, illuminated from behind by the glow of Zordon's tube, Zhane was still struggling with Darkonda.

Andros pushed himself up with a groan. Astronema was advancing towards him. He looked for his saber, but she was almost there—

He rolled out of the way, forcing himself to his feet and then he staggered away, away from his sister, towards Zhane. Towards Zordon.

Light glinted off the tip of his saber as he passed it. He opened his hand, calling it to him. Andros felt the handle settle into his palm. He clenched his fist around it, and continued on.

Zhane shouted something at him in alarm.

His shoulder burned. Andros yelped in pain, nearly dropping his saber again as he fell to his knees. Astronema hadn't missed this time. Andros looked up. He was so close to Zordon.

Zhane's distraction had cost him. Darkonda was right there beside him, sword raised, and Andros had just a split second to decide, Zhane or Zordon—and then he pushed himself up and leapt for his friend, to whom he owed everything.

Darkonda must've hit him, Andros knew, but he didn't feel any pain besides the impact of falling, and Zhane bore even the brunt of that as Andros landed on top of him.

Then Astronema pointed her staff at him and Andros raised his saber, still half-crouched over Zhane—

She leapt and so did he, swinging blindly around behind him—was he close enough, he couldn't tell—

There was the purple flash of Astronema's lightning, and then it was swallowed by blinding gold light, and the world exploded around him.