CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Leo ducked as Steelon swung the hammer at his skull. He slashed for the abdomen with his Quasar Saber, but Steelon blocked, and twirled around. There was a loud thud as he bashed the Red Galaxy Ranger in the back of the skull with the butt of the hammer.

But Carter was ready for him. Leaping in with his V-Lancer, he sliced downward across Steelon's chest, resulting in a flash of sparks. The Red Lightspeed Ranger then tried a horizontal slash that Steelon was just barely able to block in time. Carter spun around, leaping into the air for a cyclone kick that his opponent managed to duck. The Red Lightspeed Ranger then struck down with his V-Lancer, but Steelon held his hammer up horizontally. The robot shot a kick into Carter's stomach that sent him tumbling backward.

However, Carter used the backward momentum to counter into a reverse somersault. The Red Ranger then kick off on both feet, launching himself forward. The tip of his weapon just barely scratched across Steelon's chest plate as the robot moved out of the way. As Carter landed face down on the ground, he was greeted by a kick to the stomach from his opponent.

Steelon's audio receptors picked up Leo's footsteps just in time to shove his foot back in a reverse kick. But the Red Galaxy Ranger stopped dead in his tracks, and caught the foot. He swung down with his Quasar Saber, attempting to sever the leg, but Steelon grabbed the weapon in his metallic hand. Using his free hand he butted Leo in the stomach with the hammer. Both combatants tumbled backward, each awaiting the other's next move…

But as Steelon charged for his next attack, his legs left him, courtesy of a trip from Carter's V-Lancer. As his opponent tumbled to the ground, Leo quickly executed an upward slash with his Quasar Saber, cutting Steelon directly across up the torso and face.

"Urrrggghhh," Steelon's mechanical voice box grunted as he collapsed face down on the ground, his body crackling with blue electricity. Under his armor, his inner workings suddenly started to make strange whirring and popping sounds.

And then, they stopped. Steelon lay motionless on the ground, defeated.

As the two Red Rangers slapped hands in congratulations, they were joined by a third. Using his Turbo Lightning Sword to maintain his vertical base, T.J. patted his partners on the shoulders. "Well gentlemen," he said, nodding in recognition of their work. "Looks like I got here just in time… to do nothing!"

Leo chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, thanks gimpy."

From afar, Andros tried to smile, simply couldn't force his muscles to move. His mind, his heart, his soul, they all seemed numb. It was like being in a coma, only you were conscious enough to realize your crippled state.

He truly was glad to see Steelon was gone, and that Ashley's tragedy had been avenged. But deep down, he selfishly wished that he could have been the one to defeat the evil general, and prove himself worthy of Ashley's love and affections…

But no, once again, he had failed her. And this pain, misery, and suffering would continue to haunt him all the days of his life. He felt his head touch the back of the boulder. Closing his eyes, he desperately wanted this to all go away. He wanted his world to be a bright, happy place again. The way it had been when before that trip to Gerraria.

Then, through the darkness, he once again found Ashley's face. The same face he'd seen before going into battle. The same face he'd seen in his dreams for three long years. The same face he wanted so desperately to see again.

But no, he knew. Now there was no way he could ever return to Earth. If he'd destroyed Steelon, then perhaps he could have redeemed himself, and come back as her white knight, just like in the fairy tales. But after what had just transpired, with Steelon, with Carter, with T.J., there was no way he could ever show his face in front of her again. No way he could ever tell her what he'd done, or why he'd left. No way he could look into her eyes, her beautiful brown eyes.

The tears were starting to come back now, as Andros took one last look into Ashley's eyes, as she stood there, frozen in his mind. Not in a wheelchair, but standing under her own power. He remembered all the times he sat there, looking into her eyes listening to her talk on and on about her dreams, about being a Power Ranger, and about what life meant to her.

And about how much she loved him…

Her eyes had never been jealous, they'd never been bitter or spiteful. They'd never told a lie, for her soul knew nothing but truth, and virtue. They'd never possessed the hate, or the rage that Andros felt deep down for himself. All he'd ever seen in them-all he'd needed to see- was love, and the determination to do what was right. When he'd looked into her loving eyes, he'd never needed to prove anything to anyone.

Because she loved him, and that was all that mattered.

His eyes popped open. So, if he didn't need to prove himself to Ashley, then who was he trying to prove himself to?

Almost immediately, Andros knew the answer. Himself. Andros despised himself for being unable to stop Steelon from hurting Ashley. He'd always sworn to himself that he would protect her, and that he would shield her from all the hate, and all the evil that the world possessed.

And yet just moments ago, his heart had pumped with that very same hate that he'd tried to defend her against. He had become a hypocrite, he had become the enemy…

Suddenly, it all made sense.

Just then, an explosion thundered in his ears. The Kerovan jerked his head up to see his three partners fly through the air, and crash down on the ground.

Andros' jaw dropped as he saw the insidious form of General Steelon walking through the flames. A long, black gash now stretched from his abdomen, up to his eyes from where Leo had slashed him with his Quasar Saber. But clearly, the Rangers had not finished him, as they initially thought.

Steelon gripped the hammer in his mechanical hand. "Mark my words Power Rangers, your end, and the end of all that is just and true, dawns now!"

Struggling to get to his feet, the Red Lightspeed Ranger, whose once bright red suit was now covered in dirt, dust, and grime, attempted a charge at the evil general. He clumsily swung with his V-Lancer, but Steelon easily blocked it, and smashed the weapon from Carter's grip. Striking him in the face with the butt of the hammer, the evil general then proceeded to swing the hammer directly into his opponent's stomach. There was a light cracking sound, which assumingly was a rib, as Carter dropped to the ground, struggling to breathe.

Leo pushed himself up with the blade of his Quasar Saber, and swung for Steelon's cranium. But the evil general ducked, and backhanded his opponent down to the ground. The Red Galaxy Ranger attempted an upward strike, but Steelon caught the sword, just as he had the V Lancer. The evil general flipped him over with ease, and took pleasure in stomping on to his torso. Leo let out a nauseating grunt, and then lay motionless.

The robot then turned to T.J..

As if the knee hadn't been bad enough, the Red Turbo Ranger had seemingly taken the brunt of the blast. Barely conscious, and unaware of his surroundings, he law face down on the ground, whimpering, clutching his wounded body part.

Feeding off the sick pleasure within the depths of his emotion chip, Steelon placed his foot on the small of T.J.'s back.

It was happening again.

The robot let out a lifeless, emotionless laugh. T.J. simply lay there, barely aware of his impending doom. "You should have learned from your delirious friend, Turbo Ranger." He said. "Those who do not learn from the past…are doomed to repeat it!"

With those words, the evil general raised his hammer into the air, and swung down for T.J.'s spine…

There was a high pitched clang as steel met steel.

"My thoughts exactly."

Steelon looked up to see the Red Space Ranger standing before him, his Spiral Saber blocking the path of the hammer. The evil general jerked his head up in a state of utter disbelief and frustration. "You again??"

Under the mask of the Red Space Ranger, Andros nodded. He spun around in a jumping cyclone kick that banged off the side of Steelon's head. The evil general tumbled off the Red Turbo Ranger, and rolled into a defensive position, preparing for his opponent's next move.

Andros charged forward, his mind focused, and his thoughts clear. He struck down with his Spiral Saber, but Steelon blocked with the hammer, and twirled around in attempt to shove the weapon into the Kerovan's stomach.

But Andros knew the move all too well. He dove upward, front flipping over the hammer and somersaulting behind Steelon. He then twisted around and slashed the robot across the back. Steelon tumbled forward, gripping his hammer in his metallic hands. His emotion chip throbbed with outrageous intensity. The evil general swung back, aiming to make contact with his opponent's skull.

There was a small explosion as the weapon collided with the Red Ranger's charged Spiral Saber. The hammer, now charred and smoking, fell to the ground in two pieces.

"No!!!" Steelon cried, looking down at his empty hands in shock.

Staring a hole through his cybernetic opponent, Andros once again charged his Spiral Saber. Wielding the illuminated weapon in the air, the Red Space Ranger took off into a jump. He front flipped, and slashed diagonally across Steelon's chest. Sparks proceeded to pop and fly from the robot's torso as he dropped to his knees, and then fell lifelessly to the ground.

As Leo and Carter rose to their feet, Andros approached the tattered, broken body of the being that'd haunted his nightmares for three years. At last, the moment he'd waited so long for had finally arrived…

His chance to avenge Ashley's paralysis, along with his own personal pride.

The Red Ranger pushed the robot on his back with his boot. He looked deep into Steelon's optical modifiers. For all the good it did. They had no soul to window in to.

"Steelon," Andros spoke softly. "Your reign of terror within the Machine Empire has come to an end.

"Your power over me has come to an end."

Gripping his Spiral Saber with both of his gloved hands, Andros turned his Spiral Saber upside down. He raised the weapon above his head, preparing to stab downward and execute Steelon, just as he had in the dreams.

He caught one last glimpse of Ashley's deep, brown eyes as he brought the tip of the blade down.

A loud screeching sound echoed throughout the Sea of Tranquility. Then, as if the first hadn't been enough, Andros stabbed down again.

For a moment, Andros simply stood there, letting the impact of what he had just done sink though his skin…

Then he turned, and walked away, leaving Steelon behind.

Lying behind the Kerovan warrior, was the defeated general. His legs lay beside him, severed at the knee joints. The robot was now incapable of walking or standing under it's own power.

Just like Ashley.

T.J. looked up from the ground, and smiled as his old friend, having never been so proud of him. It had been a trying battle, not just for Andros, but for himself, and the other Space Rangers as well. A battle that had lasted over three years. In a way, they had all felt the pain Andros felt. For just like the ten Rangers doing battle at that very moment, they won as a team, and lost as a team. They celebrated as a team, and suffered as a team. But deep down, it had always been Andros' fight. A fight to overcome the pain, the guilt, and the anger that engulfed his mind, and tarnished his spirit. A fight to break the binding chains of self-pity that had kept him from his friends for so long.

And now, at last, the battle was finished. Andros had won.

As Leo and Carter pulled the Red Turbo Ranger to his feet, their teammate approached them.

He looked to T.J.. "Are you alright?" His voice was calm, yet concerned.

T.J. nodded, and turned to Leo. "What about you?"

The Red Galaxy Ranger flashed a thumbs up.

Andros then placed a gloved hand on Carter's shoulder. The Red Lightspeed Ranger was favoring the left side of his rib cage. "I'm sorry Carter. There's no excuse for what I did to you. My emotions just…overcame me. I hope you can forgive me."

A brief second passed, before the Red Lightspeed Ranger shrugged and slapped Andros on the helmet. "Sure man. But just remember, if for any reason I ever need to attack somebody in a fit of rage, you owe me one."

The four men laughed.

"What about you man?" T.J. asked his friend, and former teammate. "Are you alright?"

Under his helmet, for the first time in a long, long time, Andros smiled.

"Yeah, I'm fine."