It had been many days since meeting Maia and Liam's sense of loneliness was sent into the back of his head. Between the last few days of the semester and fighting evil, Liam would spend as much time as he could with Maia.
"You know," Noah had commented during a training session once, "Liam's connection to his element comes so naturally. More than us."
Jared agreed, "He's picking it up faster than I did back in the day."
It was as if Maia had become an honorary member of the group having formed bonds with the Rangers, Lydia and Tobias.
Maia found them all to be the coolest people she's ever met. She was able to vigorously push Jared to his limit when he trained, to which he was grateful for, she helped Alicia fill in the Destiny Book with entries from the many creatures she'd encountered, constantly beat Noah in races around the island HQ was located on, shared the same music taste as Sonia, exchanged stories with Asher, and was able to connect with Chris on not fully understanding their power.
However, a new development was taking place. In the fortress dimension that Slade commandeered after the fall of the Demigods, the mysterious man stood in a dimly lit chamber pouring his own energy into the oval stone shield he found in the mines.
"The world is so slow..." He said to himself as he transferred more power into the artifact. "they don't know that I'm already ten moves ahead. A storm is coming to Bayview..."
~Cue Theme~
~HQ~
Everyone met in HQ at the request of Lydia.
"I think I've found what Slade was looking for at the mining site." She told everyone.
"And that would be..." Noah began.
"This." Lydia replied typing in a command on her keyboard. The mainframe glowed to life and showed a picture of the Oval Shield. "This artifact is what he wanted."
"What is it?" Sonia asked.
"All we know is that it originated from the Mystic Realm. Dr. Bly and Claire set out to find out more on it. But for now, it's in Slade's hands."
Liam examined the picture closely. It was so familiar to the boy.
"For now," Lydia instructed, "get some rest and keep your eyes open. I'm gonna stay here and do some digging of my own."
As the Teens exited the HQ, Alicia and Sonia started talking about the artifact. Jared and Noah were speaking in French to each other while Chris and Asher set up plans to practice their powers. Liam turned around to say something to Maia, but she wasn't there.
"Maia?" He asked.
"Sorry." She said catching up to him. "I just wanted to look at the artifact for a little longer."
"It's weird, isn't it?"
"Very." She agreed. It was then that she made it her mission to keep them all in the dark about its power until the right time.
~A City Street~
The sun had begun to set over the city. Maia and Liam were strolling down the street not really doing anything in particular. Liam noticed that Maia's eyes were darting everywhere.
Worried, he asked, "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, just a little antsy."
"Why?"
"No reason, just random nerves I guess. Wanna go somewhere?" She asked quickly.
"Yeah, um sure. Where to?"
"Let's go to the carnival."
"Yeah, I guess that sounds like fun."
Checking her watch, Maia sighed. "Great, let's go." She knew that in a matter of time, the true plan would begin.
~Later that Night~
Lydia rapidly typed away looking through multiple sources at an astounding pace.
"Still up?" Came Tobias's voice as he walked closer to her. The lights were dimmed and most of it came from Lydia's monitors.
"You should really get some rest."
"I haven't been able to do that in a long time."
"Well, let's lighten it up here at least." Tobias hit a switch that brightened up all the lights. Within milliseconds, his grin turned into a look of terror.
"Lydia..." He whispered.
"What?" She answered, her eyes still glued to the screens in front of her.
"Lydia... look around you."
Sighing in irritation, Lydia rotated her chair and covered her mouth in shock. Hundreds of Shadowlites were standing all around them and hung on the ceiling. Hitting a red button on her keyboard, Lydia was able to send out a distress call just as a Shadowlite destroyed her interface board.
~Carnival~
The pair pretty much did everything in sight. Liam managed to win Maia a prize at a mini game, the prize was an oversized stuffed monkey.
The two sat on a pier overlooking the water.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Liam asked.
"Yeah, it's amazing." Maia replied. "Liam, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Um... well... what do you think comes after death?"
The question caught Liam off by surprise. "What makes you ask that?"
"Well, all this goodness... It's bound to end. Even life itself. Do you think it all goes away?"
"Honestly? No... people along with goodness never go away forever." Maia looked at Liam with shock and curiosity. "The impressions people leave on each other and the world around them makes it so they're practically immortal; not gone forever. What do you believe?"
"Um... I'll tell you later."
After going through a bunch of rides, boardwalk strolls and the ferris wheel, the two decided to have a scare at the Haunted House.
Both knew it wouldn't have been that bad. As they jogged from their Ferris Wheel cart laughing and talking, Liam's wristband kept going off. However, the sound was drowned out by the music and the collective voices of hundreds.
~HQ~
"He's not answering!" Asher informed as he kicked a Shadowlite in the head.
Alicia flipped through the air and threw a Shadowlite into a wall. "It's no use!"
Sonia and Chris stood back to back with their X-Defenders trying to keep the army at bay. "What're we going to do?" Chris asked.
"How'd they get in here in the first place?" Sonia demanded.
Jared dashed forward and spun like a top with his swords in hand, slicing up numerous Shadowlites. "For now, we take them all down. Everyone, scatter!"
Alicia flew through the air of one of HQ's numerous hallways avoiding energy blasts. She shot magical bolts from her hands as she went. Looking forward, she realized that the end of the hall was blocked by more Shadowlites.
"Hguorht dna hguorht!" The witch chanted. She dove at the ground and phased right through it to a lower level.
Sonia rolled across the hall from one doorway to another. She slammed the metal door and turned on the light. Luckily, she found the closet for faulty traps; this gave her an idea. Within minutes, she kicked the door down and pulled three crossbows on wheels from the closet. Each crossbow was about the size of a coffee table.
She electrified the arrows and pulled a string. Like gatlings, the crossbows let off hundreds of bolts, mowing right through the oncoming Shadowlites.
Noah sped through the halls taking out Shadowlites. He soon found himself in the Zord Hangar as Shadowlites followed him.
"Oh this is gonna be fun." He commented as he sped to his Wolf Zord. The doors to the Hangar exploded and numerous 10 foot tall Shadowlites stormed in.
"Say hello to my little friend!" Noah's voice called out as he made his Zord stomp on all of the foot soldiers.
Jared, Chris, and Asher orbed to the roof and were completely surrounded. The three did not slow down and promptly swung through the attackers with their swords.
"Liam... where are you?" Jared asked himself.
~Haunted House~
"Right here!" Liam called out to Maia as he ran down the foggy, plastered hallway.
"You're too fast." Maia joked trying to catch up with him.
Liam laughed back and pointed ahead of them. "I think the exit is that way, past the hall of mirrors."
"Well, let's get to it." Maia answered by taking off in front.
The two entered the hall and were greeted by thousands of their own reflections. They made funny faces at one another laughing at how deformed the mirrors made the two look.
Maia turned around to look at more reflections when she saw Slade. Gasping, she fell backwards and landed on her bottom.
"You ok?" Liam asked, looking at their own reflections.
"I'm fine... I just thought I saw something."
"Well, this IS a Haunted House."
"Yeah, but.."
Suddenly, a flash of black grabbed the two and threw them with lots of force. Liam and Maia landed in a wide area with a diameter of about 30 feet.
Liam kipped up to his feet and took a battle stance. "Who's there?!" He demanded making his palms glow green.
Slade emerged from the shadows with clenched fists. "Hello, Green Ranger."
"What do you want, Slade?" Liam glared, readying his morpher.
"Why not ask your friend?"
This caught Liam by surprise. Turning around, Liam stared at Maia. "What's he talking about?"
"Liam, I-"
Slade interrupted, "Of course you don't know, young Liam. Maia is my apprentice."
"What?"
"Liam..."
Liam couldn't believe his ears. "Maia, is he lying? Is this a sick joke?"
Maia looked down, not daring to meet his eyes.
"It's no joke, Liam. Observe." Slade waved his hands at the mirrors that lined the walls. It looked like smoke was swirling around inside them as pictures formed. Like a video playback, Liam witnessed his friends fighting off hundreds of Shadowlites inside the command center.
Liam immediately called his friends.
"Where've you been?" Noah's voice came through. "We're kinda in a pinch right now!"
Without answering, Liam closed the link. "Maia... why?"
Finding the courage to speak, Maia answered, "Slade found me after I destroyed most of my home with an earthquake. He helped me get a grip on my powers. I only pretended to not be in control to gain your trust... But, Liam... those times I spent with you were real. My feelings were real. You and the Rangers actually became my fr-"
"Don't say it!" Liam shouted. "I'm not your friend! By the looks of it, you don't have any."
At that moment, Maia's heart broke. Fury flared within her as she made the ground shake.
"I'm sorry, Liam... I had no choice!" Stone pillars burst from below them and one rose diagonally and rammed Liam in the stomach knocking him out.
~HQ~
The Rangers emerged from the command center having destroyed all the intruders. Lydia was going through her Ipad trying to find how the Shadowlites got in. Her discovery was shocking.
"Look at this." She handed Jared the device and everyone watched the surveillance footage.
It showed the Rangers filing out of the main room and Maia planting something small under a table, then running after them.
"She betrayed us..." Chris whispered. "She's with Liam!"
Noah, panicking, tried to reach Liam but failed. "He's not answering again."
"We've got to find him." Asher pointed out.
"But before that," Lydia said typing on her computer. "I think I know what Slade was after. And if my hunch is correct, Liam is in huge trouble."
~Slade's Dimension~
Liam hung from a wall by his wrists. He felt cold metal shackles dig into his skin as he hissed in pain.
"What do you want from me?" He weakly asked, his vision slightly blurry.
"Of course, you don't know where you come from." Slade's voice echoed.
"What're you talking about?"
"This artifact I found; do you know what it is?"
"A china plate for your cabinet." Liam replied sarcastically.
"It's a power source from a race connected to the Earth. These beings, known as the 'Sol-Garde,' are the most powerful and ancient of the Fairy race. They were more powerful than the average Fairy, with more mastery over the elements than their counterparts. They were the protectors of humanity for a short while. However, a tragedy befell them when an evil source of magic turned half their population into unstoppable Elemental Warriors warriors. These giants slaughtered their former brethren and they themselves were destroyed in the process, leaving behind the weaker, more abundant Fairy kind."
"So what's this have to do with me?" Liam muttered.
"Not just you, William. But Maia as well. It was said that two families escaped the devastation. These two families remained hidden for centuries until the emergence of two powerful Warriors. Have you ever wondered why your connection to Earth came more naturally to you than your friends? It's not just the Spirit of Earth that gives you power, Liam… But your Magical Blood as a Fairy. You and Maia are descendants of this civilization. And with your power, I will destroy the world."
"Maia, how could you let him do this to you? Please... you don't have to do this."
Maia, though unseen, answered, "He found me... He saved my life... It's too late, Liam."
"It's never too late." Liam breathed back. He squinted and shot a boulder from the wall next to him, hitting Slade in the chest.
"A little fight in you, no matter. The ceremony will begin shortly." Slade picked up the artifact and showed it once more to Liam. "This power source was the main weapon of the Sol-Garde: A shield meant to defend against all attacks."
Maia stepped into view, causing Liam to gasp. She wore armor very similar to Slade, except it was green and silver, not black and orange.
Her golden blonde hair fell down in front of her right eye, as she walked forward. "This is my path now."
"Now, the ritual will begin." Slade announced spreading his arms wide. The Sol-Garde shield started to glow a bright green. Liam suddenly felt waves of pain spread throughout his body.
Letting out a loud scream, the shackles around his wrists disintegrated. As if a large unseen hand had a hold of him, Liam started to float into the air. Maia levitated up as well, glowing a deep green.
A burst of green energy exploded from the two, causing the entire room to be encased in light. When all was calm once more, Liam and Maia were gone. In their place, was a stone armored warrior standing around thirteen feet. Lean in stature, the warrior wielded the Sol-Garde Shield on its right wrist.
"Go, take the world by storm." Slade instructed.
Nodding, the Warrior took off.
~Bayview~
The Rangers were drawn out by an influx of Shiner activity. The foot soldiers were easily dispatched. But as soon as the last Shiner fell, the stone warrior fell from the sky and crashed to the ground forming a crater.
"Always getting bigger." Noah commented on raising his Kwan Dao.
A/N: There we go, part 2!
Reviews please!
Later Days!
