Auther's Note: I'm writing a focus chapter for each ranger, but both Madison or Nick will play some role in each chapter. First up, Xander!

Thanks for all the comments and reviews!

Chapter 5
STANDALONE
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Everything feels like a fairytale…
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Xander walked home from school, planning to shower and change and be back at work in about an hour. He took the long way home after declining a ride from Vida when she offered. He watched her drive off with Chip and Madison.

When he finally got home, he walked in and saw his mom in the living room surrounded by empty wine bottles. One leg hung over the edge of the sofa just barely scraping the mess on the floor beneath.

Xander paused, quietly looking on at a sight he'd seen a million times before. There was nothing he could do but walk away.

Up in his room, Xander threw his bag in a corner and sat on his bed, combing his fingers through his hair with frustration. There was a lot going through his mind and no one there he could talk to. "Who would want to listen anyway?" He muttered under his breath, mostly angry at himself for even feeling this way. This is Xander after all. The guy that can always find the positive in any situation.

He sighs and looks in the mirror
He can't tell anymore
Who he really is and who they believe him to be
And he sighs and walks in a thin line
Between what is and what could be

Every day was a struggle, but he had to put on a brave face because that's what everyone expects from him.

Everything was changing, Udonna especially. Her usual immaculate appearance was diminishing, looking more worn out every time he clapped eyes on her. Udonna's face just said it all: Something terrible was happening, something she couldn't say, Xander guessed.

Then there was that encounter with the Dragons the other night, Xander remembered how they looked. Dark robs that covered most of their bodies, only their faces exposed, dark scaly skin and black pools for eyes stared back at them. Xander wondered how they were going to defeat an army of those creatures? They were powerful enough to bring back The Master.

Xander's eyes were darting all around, not able to focus on one spot as his mind continued racing. They have a hard enough time fighting Koragg and the rest…This was just too much for them. He wanted to say this at Rootcore last night when Udonna filled them in on the latest news from the Council of Magic.

A small circle of witches, including the Crone, a very old blind witch were there, chanting magical words as they monitored the power readings emanating from the Underworld on a huge crystal ball. One after the other, the witches in the circle fell unconscious, apparently being overwhelmed by The Master's power force. At this point, only the Crone was left keeping the spell going but after a few moments, she too collapsed.

Udonna stood back watching as the Crone's eyes fluttered open and she began to whisper, "There is no hope…"

Udonna's head slowly fell, dread filling her heart.

She turned away eventually, feeling the need to be there was no longer useful. But she stopped before she could move away as she heard the Crone continue to speak, "…except with The Chosen Ones."

Udonna breathed a sigh of relief, cementing her promise to find them and protect them until they were needed.

Xander remembered feeling very helpless when she told them what had happened. Everyone else had a look of defiance on there face, especially Nick. They always had that look before a battle, but this wasn't like any ordinary fight and Xander wanted to yell that out. But something stopped him from saying anything. Instead, he just stood in the back and watched everyone else ask Udonna more questions.

Xander shook his head as he got up, grabbed his clothes and went into the bathroom to shower.

By the time he was done, there was a knock on the door. Xander ran downstairs, after throwing on a green t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans, knowing his mom wouldn't bother to get up and answer the door.

He opened it and saw Madison walking away, "Maddi?"

She turned, surprise lighting up her eyes, "You're home? I thought you'd probably already left for work..."

"Ah, sorry to make you wait... I just got out of the shower you see." He grinned.

Sticking her hands into the pockets of her hoody, she moved to the door and expected Xander to let her in. But he just stood there, blocking the entrance.

"Um, actually I was just leaving." Xander's words came out very nervously as he bent down to finish doing up his shoe laces.

He stood up straight with his usual smile, masking all the stress he was under just moments earlier up in his room. Pretending everything was fine is something he had a lot of practice at. He glanced one last time at the door of his house as he walked with Madison down the street.

I'm standing here on the ground
The sky above won't fall down
See no evil, in all directions
Resolution of happiness

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"Xander, are you sure you're okay?" Madison asked after a few silent moments of walking.

His smiles weren't fooling her, he grimaced.

"What makes you think I'm not okay?" he tried to laugh it off, but it didn't appear like Madison was buying it as she gave him a knowing look.

"You know you can talk to me, right? Chip, Vida and Nick… we're all here for each other." Madison explained.

Xander just looked at the ground, narrowing his eyes at a small rock he was kicking as he walked down the street. The sky was getting dark and it looked like it was gonna rain.

"I know there's a lot going on with school, work and now this saving the world stuff…" She paused before she continued again, "Things don't look too good at the moment and there's so much we don't know… like we're just walking into a fight with our eyes closed…" Madison trailed off, not realizing what she was saying made Xander even more frustrated.

"What if this is the end?" He blurted out. She glanced over at him, her solemn expression frozen on her face as she struggled to answer him.

"It could be…" She finally said, turning her attention to the rock he was kicking.

Xander stopped walking and just stared at her, confused once again, "What did you say?"

"You heard me," She saw the way that affected him.

"It doesn't change anything." Madison tried to reassure him, but he wasn't listening, at least that's the impression she was getting.

Xander's face was contorted into a frown she'd never really seen on him before now. "That's just it Maddi. Whatever we do, it won't change anything. This is The Master we're dealing with!" He was almost yelling.

I still feel the same
though everything has changed

"If we don't fight, who will?" Her voice a contrast to his own, Madison calmly put a hand on his shoulder to offer some comfort. She had no idea he was this disturbed by what was going on.

"There's no one but us Xander." She finished saying, hoping he would do something other than look furiously at the ground.

"We can only do this if we all stick together. Trust me on this." He looked at her then, finally connecting to what she was saying, at least some part of her hoped that was what she saw in his eyes.

He nodded and half smiled when she still had that serious look on her face. "You're right… forget I said anything." He tried to laugh, and fool her into thinking he was okay so he wouldn't have to continue this conversation.

She sighed, taking the hint and started walking away. The Rock Porium was just around the corner now. When Madison reached the entrance, she turned to see Xander just standing a few feet away with an unsure expression on his face. Xander stopped and told her he'd come in a minute. She left him standing there looking back at where he just come from.

The road twisted and turned, before it disappeared around the corner. He'd have to walk down this path in a few hours once his shift was over. The road will lead him back to an empty home.

"I'm okay," he whispered, forcing himself to believe the words, like it would somehow make things all better.

Before Xander turned and went into the store, a sobering thought escaped on to his lips as he muttered, "If it is the End, maybe it's for the best…"

I'll get what I want if I make up my mind
I wanna rule the world wanna swallow it whole
I think I'll just kick it all down
I wanna kick it all down

When he did turn towards the Rock Porium, there was Madison, still standing there only a few feet away.

Madison had a haunting look in her eyes, and to his surprise, she didn't say a word.

Storm clouds were gathering all afternoon, a few moments later, it started to rain gently. Neither one looking like they were affected by it and they just continued standing there, both not saying anything at all.

The rain drenched Madison's hair and the rest of her clothes. She pushed a mess of hair away from her face, took a few steps forwards and looked Xander in the eye.

"The Master turning this world into his own personal playground is something you wanna see happen?"

Xander remained silent.

"I really hope not. Whatever it is that is bugging you, talk to someone about it..." Madison was on a roll, no longer sounding calm and reasonable, and instead her voice sounded forceful and strong.

Nick walked out of the store and saw Xander and Madison talking, both not looking too happy either.

"What's going on?" Nick came up behind Madison and looked back and forth between his two friends.

"Nothing." Xander snapped and walked past Madison without looking back. "I'm late for my shift," that was all he said before he disappeared through the door of the Rock Porium.

"Madison?" Nick was confused by Xander's reaction, something was going on and he wanted to know what it was.

"He's just, a little, um…" She didn't want to say too much. This was Xander's issues and she was trying to respect his privacy.

"You know, we're all feeling the stress with everything that's going on." She tried to explain, while avoiding Nick's stare.

Nick shrugged off his shirt and draped it around her shoulders, it was pouring and it didn't look like she even noticed.

He led her in the store, insisting she'd catch a cold if she didn't go inside and warm up.

"Everything's going to be fine," Nick rubbed her shoulders as they walked past Xander who was at the cash register dealing with a customer.

He caught Madison's eye for a moment when she glanced over.

"I hope so…" was all she said before she disappeared into the back of the store.

Xander looked down at the counter as he repeated his mental mantra, 'I'm okay. Everything is fine. I'm okay…'

A few minutes later, Madison appeared from the back room, her white tank top still a bit drenched and her hair a total mess.

Xander saw her from the corner of his eye, afraid to meet her eyes. Afraid? He didn't know why. The things she said, some of it had to be true. When he looked up from the counter, he saw a blue streak, she walked by quickly with a stack of records in her arms.

Xander wanted to say something, more importantly, he wanted her to say something. But she kept walking, didn't even look his way.

All he could do was remember.

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'Cause I am hanging on
to every word you say

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