War of the Hidden

Disclaimer: Nothing that you can google belongs to me.

A/N: Please give me some kind of comment so I won't keep posting if no one likes it.

Ch. 7

"No, they couldn't be vampires!" Chip said at once.

"Why not?" Maxi asked him.

"Vampires are supposed to be bat-like, you know, with wings and fangs and stuff."

"How do you know?"

"Well, we've fought vampires before," Maddie said.

"V was almost turned into one," Xander added.

"And don't forget Necrolai," Nick piped up. "She was the Queen of Vampires, and Leelee, the heir to that throne."

"The vampires of the Underworld are different from the vampires on Earth then, I guess," Maxi murmured, more to herself than anyone else, though the room was so quiet, they all heard.

"There are vampires on Earth?" Ryan asked. "Where?"

"They walk among us, their identities hidden. It's one of their few laws…ironically, just like the Power Rangers."

"How do you know this?" Mike asked.

"It's a long story, but once you know what you're looking for, then it's actually pretty obvious."

"You said that vampires on Earth are different," Chip said. "How so?"

"There are some very distinct things that mark a vampire. Number one is their eyes. Their irises deepen in color as they grow thirstier. The color of their eyes can also tell you if they can be friend or foe--"

"You can befriend a vampire?" Kelsey and Dana interrupted with wide-eyes.

"I wouldn't know all this if I didn't, now would I?" Maxi replied before continuing. "Number two, vampires look amazingly attractive, it's a trait that's supposed to help them attract prey, along with their delicious-smelling scent. Not that they really need either of those things. Vampires are faster than a speeding bullet and stronger than anything you've ever encounter. I'll bet they can lift a Megazord with one hand if they wanted to. I know for a fact that when a car crashes into a vampire, it's the car that goes to the 'yard. They are cold, smooth, and hard like marble, and in the sunlight, they sparkle like crystal.

"A vampire is the true living dead. That's why Cole couldn't hear a heartbeat, because their heart no longer beats. Vampires are immortals, but they will never grow. Whatever they looked like when they were…changed, that's how they'll look a year, a decade, or even a century later. Also, they contain no liquid. They cannot sweat or shed tears. They cannot sleep and have constant purple circles under their eyes to show their weariness…"

"The Cullens!" came a sharp gasp. Maxi already knew who had spoken. There was only one other person present that would know of them. She turned to look at her dad, who was leaning back against the bark wall, his head tilted upwards. His breathing, like his teammates, came in gasps.

"Yes, the Cullens are vampires," she admitted. "And I see that our enemies are vampires as well." Maxi put her left arm across her chest to support her right elbow, her chin in her hand. "I don't get it. If something like this was going to happen, Alice would've—Alice!"

Her hand flew to her pocket, wrenched out the cell phone Tommy had finally gotten her, and hit the speed dial. She paced back and forth impatiently for it to dial. The Rangers (and allies) watched her, not knowing what she was thinking, in silence, except for the occasional groans and winces in pain as Clare put mashed herbs on some injuries.

"Maxi," a familiar musical voice answered after barely one ring.

"Alice," Maxi retorted coolly. "You saw it, didn't you? And don't lie, I know you did. 'Alice is most prone to non-humans…like us', Edward once said."

The impish vampire waited patiently on the other end of the line for the little girl to finish. When she had, she said, "Yes, I saw. I saw it the moment you flashed away."

"Then why didn't you tell me?!" Maxi demanded furiously. Unlike Bella, Maxi can easily be mad, and more importantly, stay mad, at the Cullens.

"I thought you knew," Alice replied innocently.

"Yeah, right," Maxi said sarcastically. "But forget that, Alice, I need your help."

"Yes, I know," Alice answered. "As we speak, Edward and Carlisle are racing to Briarwood, faster than flying. We should be there in a matter of hours."

Maxi couldn't help but sigh in relief; her frustration with small shop-aholic had evaporated immediately. Instead, appreciation and thankfulness settled in. "Bless you, Alice."

Alice did not reply and the two of them simultaneously hung up, although Maxi could've sworn she heard her smile.

"Well? What is it? What's going on?" the Rangers asked when she turned around to face them. The unanimously selected leader raised a hand and they all quieted down to hear her answer.

"Help's on its way."

The Cullens, thanks to Edward's mind-reading and Alice's "future-seeing", found their way to Rootcore three hours after Maxi had stuffed her cell back into her pocket. The little girl had set about trying to help the wounded Rangers, but not really knowing what she could do to ease their pain. After a while, she settled with sitting down in front of the Time Force computer, trying to get into contact with Edenoi, after Andros had told her that Alpha had taken the Astro Megaship on a trip to visit his home planet. So far, she had no luck. When the coven arrived, they found themselves inside a hollow tree in a magical forest filled with nearly 60 people, not including themselves.

"Maxi." Carlisle's calm voice alerted the little girl of their presence. She introduced them to the Rangers and short greetings were exchanged. Chip was kept under constant glare of his teammates/friends/coworkers to keep him from saying anything that might offend their reinforcements. Maxi told the Cullens about the short-lived fight after they had taken seats around the table (the Rangers were either on the floor, the steps, or leaning against something).

"Who is he? Have you ever heard of him before?" Maxi asked Carlisle in the end.

The wise doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry Maxi, but I've never heard of a Lord Atirddez Asluper in my 300-odd years."

The little girl sighed, shaking her head. "I should've known. If Merrick and Princess Shayla's 3000 years amounted to nothing, then--"

The Cullens stared at the Lunar Wolf Ranger.

"He's 3000 years old?" Bella asked with eyes wide in surprise. Actually, the real surprise (at least to Maxi) was that Edward actually brought her along, knowing fully well that this was not a social visit, but a battlefront.

"He doesn't look old," Jasper commented.

"And he's not one of us," Emmett added.

"But Merrick and the Princess had been in an enchanted sleep for most of those years though," Alyssa said to Maxi, all the while answering the Cullens' questions.

"But still," the little girl replied glumly. Someone, she didn't know who, put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"So what do we do now?" Rocky asked. "What happens when they decide to attack again?"

"Honestly, I don't know. We fight them I guess. We can't let them take over the world," Maxi answered.

"But how so we defeat them?" Adam asked.

"There is only one way to destroy a vampire," Edward told them. "You have to tear them to shreds and burn the pieces."

"How do we do that when our weapons can barely hold them off?" Zack asked.

"You have us now," Alice answered simply.

"No offense," Tori said. "But there's at least a hundred of them, and only seven of you. Even if you match them in power, they outnumber you—and us, for that matter."

"Face it, this is hopeless. Our Ranger powers are powerless against the vampires. How are we going to defeat them without any powers?" Shane said.

Maxi turned to face him. "You just have to believe," she told him. "Aren't you the one who said 'We may not be Power Rangers, but we still have power' to Lothor during the Battle of the Abyss of Evil? You can't give up." The little girl looked at all her friends. "None of us can. If we lose faith, then our world is doomed."

"But how can we kill the living dead?" Max asked.

"Like the way we destroy our monsters," Jason answered. "We blow them into smithereens."

"Right," Maxi agreed nodding. "Joel, contact Ms. Fairweather, have her begin developing new weapons to help us against the vampires. Jasper, go with him to explain to her the weaknesses of vampires and other things she may need to know." The two men nodded and left the room. Maxi turned to Trent. "Call Hayley and do the same. Esme, would you assist him please?"

"Of course, Maxi," the loving woman replied, nodding as she and Trent walked away.

"Have Hayley worked together with Anton and Elsa," Maxi added to Trent. "They could help, and even if they can't, I'm sure Mercer Industries can provide some sort of aid."

"Right," the teen nodded, taking out his cell phone.

"I'll call my father and get Bio-Lab started right away," Wes said before Maxi even opened her mouth to ask. She smiled thankfully at him. He returned the smile and also left the room for his phone call with Alice accompanying him.

"The new weaponry on KO-35 is still being tested," Zhane informed them. "But they should be ready soon."

"That's good," Maxi nodded along with the other Rangers. "Can someone check in with Billy? With his brains and the technological-advanced Aquitians, they should be a big help."

"I'll do it," Trini volunteered, walking over to the Time Force computer.

"And have the Alien Rangers on standby," Maxi added to her as she typed rapidly to connect to the distant planet. "I have a feeling we're going to need backup."

Trini nodded to show she heard, her eyes never moving from the holographic screen. Carlisle sat beside her, ready to tell Billy and the geniuses of Aquitar all that he knew that could help them create weapons to destroy this uprising army. Cole had gone to call Princess Shayla, to see if she could find out anything about Lord Atirdezz Asluper from the ancient Wild Zords. Cam had called Ninja Ops to check in with CyberCam and have him and Sensei check the ancient scrolls for information. Clare and the Mystics, with the help of anyone who wasn't hurt too badly, began digging through their many spell books to see if they could learn anything about vampires or a way to defeat them. With everyone hard at work, no one noticed when a little girl slipped away, retreating back to her own room.

Maxi plopped down on her bed, staring at the bark walls. Her mind was racing. Never had the Rangers ever had to defend the Earth from its own occupants. Usually, they fought against aliens, demons, mutants from the future, orgs from the past, experiments gone wrong, or an army of undead from the Underworld. Vampires, though no longer humans, had once call Earth their home—and should still do. With a heavy sigh, Maxi closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. She did not understand why the others are looking at her to lead them in this mission. She was the youngest and least experienced of them all. Why did they bestow this responsibility on her, when they have so many great leaders among them, including the legendary Tommy Oliver and the Power Rangers' first Red and leader, Jason Lee Scott?

"It's quite simple really," said a soft musical voice.

Maxi didn't bother to turn her head. She knew who it was. Edward Cullen walked over and sat down at the foot of her bed. He had a smile on his face, for what reason, Maxi was unsure of. What she was sure of though was the fact that they were at war—so to speak—and had no reason to be happy.

"Didn't I warn you about digging in my head?" she asked him with mock fury.

Edward smirked. "Is it my fault your thoughts speak to me?"

"Yes," Maxi replied and Edward laughed.

"Do you still want to know the answer to your question?" he asked, clearly amused. "I can tell you each of the Rangers' thoughts."

"Of course you can," Maxi retorted dryly. Edward suppressed a smile. The little girl sighed. "I already know," she said quietly.

"Oh?" Edward asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Maxi nodded, which was kind of hard seeing that she was lying flat on her back. "They're letting me lead because they all believe there's a reason that I was the one that was contacted and teleported to Briarwood first," she said in defeat.

Edward nodded. "That sounds about right."

"I still think Alpha was trying to contact Dad," Maxi said. "Maybe he was just in a hurry and sent me by mistake without checking if it was really him. I mean, who would've thought he'd give his communicator to someone else?"

"Or maybe, he meant to send you?" Edward replied. Maxi frowned. She believed that your life was planned out by God before you were even conceived (because he has to choose who you should be born to), that the beginning and end of your life is all arranged, and your job is just to live it out, making decisions on the way that would ultimately lead you to your final destination. She also knew that Edward knew that, and was using her beliefs against her. She hated it.

"I'm not sure about that," Maxi muttered. "But I'm also not sure why the Volturi haven't shown up yet. If they're supposed to keep the humans from finding out about the vampires, shouldn't they have finished Atirddez off by now? I mean, they do have a thousand vampires, and Atirddez only has a hundred."

Edward's face was hard and his tone was just as harsh. "By not acting, they have chosen to side with the enemy," was his answer. Maxi gulped nervously. Atirddez was hard enough to deal with, but the Volturi, she knew they could not defeat. Maxi knew that the Rangers had won countless battles before, but how are they going to win this one? Against beings that seem indestructible?

For some reason, Maxi felt extremely tired. She wasn't able to suppress a yawn. Something much subtler wouldn't have escaped Edward's notice. He stood smiling.

"Time for the baby's naptime," he teased. He was the only one to call Maxi a baby, one, because she was small like one, and two, because she was so young compared to him. Maxi threw a pillow at him, which he easily caught, laughing.

"Shut up," Maxi retorted, but it only made him laugh harder. She sighed in frustration, lying back down. Edward returned her pillow, ruffling her hair in the process.

"Sweet dreams," he said warmly and left the room. Maxi was out before the door even closed behind him.

Maxi found herself in a weird place. It was all white around her, with nothing in sight but electrical sparks of Ranger colors cackling around. Everything glowed intensely and Maxi had to squint because the brightness was hurting her eyes.

"MAXIMILIAN," a deep echoing voice called.

Maxi gasped, spinning 360º to search for the owner of the voice. It wasn't often that she was called by this name, only when Tommy was really, really mad at her. Only the Power Rangers know that that was her full name. As per her request, Justin had changed all her files so that her name was just Maxi. Even her passport and social security and stuff like that knew her as Maxi Lorelai Oliver. The fact that she was in a strange unknown place and someone was calling this name but was nowhere to be seen worried her. The vast emptiness and booming voice also made her feel extremely small, even smaller than she already was.

"MAXMILIAN," the voice said again. This time, not knowing why, Maxi looked up to what would be the ceiling—or sky.

"Zordon?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"YES MAXMILIAN, IT'S ME," the voice answered. Maxi sighed in relief. If anyone could help her in her situation, it was Zordon.

"Zordon, where are you?" Maxi asked, a little louder this time. "Why can't I see you?"

"YOU CANNOT SEE ME BECAUSE I AM DEMATERIALIZED. I AM ONLY ATOMS HANGING AROUND IN WHAT YOU SEE AS EMPTY SPACE. TECHNICALLY, I AM ALL AROUND YOU. WE ARE ONE."

"Zordon, Lord Atirddez Asluper and his army of vampires are plotting to take over the Earth. The Cullens are doing their best to assist the Rangers, but they are few. Atirddez's army contains at least a hundred vampires, the only coven more powerful are the Volturi, but in choosing to not act, they have chosen to support the enemy. How can we defeat an army of the undead with enhanced abilities?"

"DO THE RANGERS THEMSELVES NOT HAVE ENHANCED ABILITIES?" Zordon asked.

"Yes, but--"

"THE POWER OF GOOD WILL ALWAYS TRIUMPH OVER EVIL, MAXIMILIAN."

"I guess, but right now, it doesn't seem that way, Zordon."

"HAVE YOU ALREADY EXHAUSTED ALL SOURCES OF GOODNESS?"

"No, I must not have since you're still here," Maxi replied, remembering what Andros had told her what Zordon's last words were: My spirit will forever live in all that is good.

Maxi heard a small chuckle and knew that her answer was—somewhat—correct.

"AS LONG AS THERE IS STILL A SPECK OF GOOD IN THE UNIVERSE, MAXIMILIAN, YOU HAVE NOT LOST. THE WAR IS STILL ON. DON'T COUNT YOUR CHICKENS BEFORE THEY HATCH."

"But Zordon, surely if over a decade's worth of Rangers cannot beat even a score of vampires, one more team can't do much of a difference," Maxi said, thinking of the Alien Rangers on Aquitar.

"MAXIMILIAN, SOMETIMES ONE PERSON IS ENOUGH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, NO MATTER HOW SMALL THEY MAY SEEM. A PERSON IS MEASURED BY THE SIZE OF THEIR WILL AND DETERMINATION, NOT BY THEIR PYSHICAL HEIGHT AND WEIGHT."

"I don't understand Zordon."

"IN TIME, YOU WILL. WHAT AN ELEPHANT CAN'T ACCOMPLISH, A MOUSE CAN ACHIEVE."

Maxi nodded, though she still not really understanding what she was being told.

"GOOD AND EVIL ARE FOREVER INTERWINED," Zordon continued. "WHERE THERE IS ONE, THERE HAS TO BE THE OTHER. THEY KEEP EACH OTHER IN BALANCE, LIKE YIN AND YANG; MIRRORED OPPOSITES." When Maxi didn't say anything, the wise sage added, "REMEMBER, MAXIMILIAN, BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER."

The little girl looked confused. "But how do we beat the vampires, Zordon?"

"IF YOU CAN'T BEAT THEM, JOIN THEM."

Maxi's eyes widened at this reply. "Join them?! We can't give in to evil! Zordon?" she called and called, but it was too late. Already her surroundings were beginning to fade. She felt like an invisible hand or hook had taken hold of the back of her shirt and was pulling her back out.

"Zordon!" Maxi woke up yelling as she popped up to a sitting position. She was panting hard, her entire body heaving. Her clothes stuck to her, drenched. Sweat glistened on her face from the light shining from the moon up in the dark sky, shaped eerily like the yin and yang symbol.