War of the Hidden
Disclaimer: Nothing that you can google belongs to me.
Ch. 12
A week has passed since Maxi had first been teleported to Briarwood. They spent a couple of quiet days in the recently-not-so-quiet city, while the Mystics tried to explain to Briarwood's citizens what was going on. Maxi was thinking in her dad's room when the familiar six-tone beep sounded from her communicator.
"What is it?" Maxi demanded as she ran into the base "downstairs".
"The vampires are attacking again," Clare reported.
"And it's the big ones," Xander added.
"Then it's time to kick into action!" Maxi cried. "Shift into Turbo! Lightning Cruiser, Turbo Power!"
"It's Morphing Time!" Delphine commanded in the Aquitian tone. "White Aquitar Ranger Power!"
"Black Aquitar Ranger Power!"
"Blue Aquitar Ranger Power!"
"Yellow Aquitar Ranger Power!"
"Red Aquitar Ranger Power!"
"Gold Ranger Power!"
"Shift into Turbo! Storm Blaster, Turbo Power!"
"Let's Rocket!"
"Go Galatic!"
"Lightspeed, Rescue!"
"Quantum Power!"
"Wild Access!"
"Samurai Storm, Ranger Form!"
"Magical Source, Mystic Force!"
It wasn't until the Rangers had made it to the battle scene when Justin realized something. "Guys, look at Lian!" All the other Rangers who had to stay behind because hey didn't have access to a Zord crowded around with the Cullens to see what the young genius was talking about. They all gasped.
"The Red Turbo Ranger--" Clare started but was cut off by Conner.
"Isn't Red any more!"
"It's…silver," Karone added.
"That's not silver," Alice corrected. "It's platinum." Everybody turned to look at her.
"Does it matter?" Mike asked. Alice just shrugged.
"It's more than that though," Justin said. "It's like…"
"A mirror?" Ethan asked more than said.
"Yeah. It's like a mirror. And it looks metal."
"Not spandex like our suits," Rocky added.
"What do you think happened?" Adam asked.
"I don't know," Trini said. "But look!"
In the city, the 44 Rangers that had control of Megazords made it to the battle field…or at least to the place where the 40-foot vampires were rampaging.
"All right Rangers, let's go kick some butt!" Maxi said to her teammates.
"Right!" they agreed.
"We need Astro Megazord Power now!" the Space Rangers called to the sky.
"Mega Winger!" Zhane said, doing the same.
One by one, the 15 Megazords and five Battle Borgs were summoned. Jason also sent Auric the Conqueror. Ninjor grew into Megazord size as well and the combat began. 23 Megazords now battled 25 vampires, lumbering through the streets of Briarwood. They split up again, with the Alien Rangers moving their Battle Borgs towards the water and Space Rangers headed up for space. This time, the Galaxy Rangers follow suited. Three Mystic Force Megazords stayed behind and the rest headed for the mountains and desert. Maxi was left to stand alone under the fighters' big feet.
"Lori, what are you doing?!" came Jason's voice through their communication link and that was all Maxi needed. Standing in the same spot, and smirking behind her helmet, she reached her right arm behind her back.
"Is she doing what I think she's doing?" Trini asked to no one in particular. No one answered, they just all stared at the Crystal Ball…waiting.
Her face set in concentration, Maxi yelled, "It's Morphin Time! Dragonzord!"
Jason, Trini, Zack, and Kim's jaws dropped. Even Justin and the Zeo Rangers couldn't believe their eyes. Yes, the others were surprised as well, but none of them had fought alongside the Green Mighty Morphin Rangers. Actually, Justin, Kat, and Tanya never did either, but at least they had fought beside Tommy and have heard of the tale of the destruction of Green Ranger and the loss of its powers. Rocky, Adam, and Aisha had known his clone personally. Jason especially, was dumbstruck, for he had felt an immense load of guilt for not being able to retrieve the Green Candle and save the Green Ranger powers so many years ago.
"No way!" Zordon's team gasped as they watched Maxi's Red Turbo Ranger suit become the Green Mighty Morphin Ranger's, with a slight alteration of course. It was metallic, glistening as if the suit itself was captured inside the platinum glass.
"It can't be," Jason murmured as Maxi pulled out the Dragon Dagger and began to play the all-too-familiar tune.
And then the earth rumbled. The waved grew bigger, bashing the vampires that were being attacked by the Aquitian Battle Borgs. Before they knew it, a new Zord had risen right out of the water. It was big and bulky and resembled Godzilla. It let out a loud roar that shocked everyone present. But the shock only lasted a second and the final vampire charged. Maxi had to quicken her playing on the flute to keep the vampire from trying to crush her new Zord.
"Is that…?" Dustin asked. Besides the original Rangers, Dustin knew the most about the past Power Rangers, mainly from what he read from comic books, which were surprisingly accurate…at least when it came to the Rangers' arsenal. Everything else was obviously made up.
Zordon's Rangers merely nodded to the Earth Ninja's question, too shocked to speak. They stared down at Maxi still not really believing what they're seeing. How can it be? How can she become the Green Ranger? They knew that those powers were gone forever, they had tried hard, but there had been nothing they could do to save it. So how is it that they can be back? And what happened to the Red Turbo powers? Why did it change like that? Questions were bursting in their brains, only their surprise was holding them back.
"Whatever that thing is," Shane said, breaking their train of thought, "it's kicking some major vampire butt." Then he turned to the Cullens. "No offense."
"None taken," Carlisle assured him.
"But you might want to look again, Shane," Alice added.
The Rangers, confused by what she said, took a look. Simultaneously, the all yelled, "Look out!"
Of course, by the time Maxi knew they were talking to her, it was too late. Something hard (a vampire, she later realized) smashed into her, knocking her over. The Dragon Dagger spiraled out of her hands, the Dragonzord's attack stopped promptly. Maxi crashed onto the ground with a grunt. Her head hit the cement and she was out like a light. The vampire that attacked her, Ragdlog, cackled and disappeared with the fallen Ranger in his grasp.
"No!" Jason roared, slamming his fist on the table so hard it shook. "Lori!"
Maxi found herself once again in a place where nothing could be seen. This time, instead of white, it was black all around her. Pitch black. At first, she thought it was because she hadn't open her eyes yet, but even holding her eyes open, she couldn't see passed her nose. And since you can't really see your nose without a mirror or a reflecting object, Maxi wasn't even sure if she couldsee that far.
"Lori…Lori…Lori!" a voice called, almost teasingly. Maxi snapped over in the direction the voice was coming from, regretting it at once. Wincing, she slapped her hand to her neck and groaned in pain.
"Lori, are you okay?"
Maxi gasped. "Dad?" she asked incredulously as she saw someone approach her. He looked exactly like Tommy Oliver the way she had last seen him, except for the fact that he was glowing. Yes, that's right, he was glowing; a bluish-whitish glow, much like the color of Zordon's energy. And he looked transparent, like a ghost, almost wavering like he was going to flicker and go out like a candle flame. The thought mortified her…until the man smiled.
"How are you feeling?" he asked her softly, sitting down next to her and helping her sit up.
"I'm okay," Maxi lied even though every inch of her body was aching. "How 'bout you Dad?" she was genuinely worried. During her short time as the Sage, Maxi has learned that she can come in contact with anyone that is "gone", meaning dead or destroyed. Her coming in contact with her dad must mean that…
Tommy chuckled. "That's my girl," he said. "Always thinking of others before herself."
"You're not…are you?" Maxi couldn't bring herself to say it.
"No, I'm not," Tommy said and Maxi sighed in relief, "…yet." The little girl jolted and stared at her father with wide eyes.
"What do you mean?" she asked him shakily.
"Well, what am I doing right now?" he asked her back. Maxi cursed inside her head. Ever since Tommy had become a teacher, he had a knack for turning everything into questions and teaching. Maxi hated it. It made even the simplest conversations into twice-as-long brain-whacking lessons. And it wasn't as if she didn't have enough people speaking in riddles in her life.
"Uh, talking with me?" Maxi guessed. Tommy chuckled.
"What am I doing besides that?"
"Er, sitting here? Where is 'here', by the way?"
Tommy sighed, shaking his head. "Come on Lor, focus. What am I doing at this moment? My body? What has it been doing?"
Maxi thought about it for a moment, and then understood. "You're fighting for your life," she murmured. Tommy heard her and nodded.
"And so are you."
"I'm dying?" Maxi asked, not as shocked as she thought she would be when it came to her death being just around the corner. Tommy nodded again, but this time, more solemnly. "So what do I do about it?"
Tommy stared at her in surprise as if the answer was plainly obvious, which, when he told her, was. "You fight for your life. Fight for the chance to live."
"Right," Maxi nodded. And she couldn't help resisting a "Duh!" Tommy had to chuckle at that. Maxi turned to him again. "And how do I do that?"
"That's one of the many things I can't help you with," Tommy replied, getting up and patting her shoulder. Maxi sighed and nodded understandingly. She smiled weakly up at her father.
"I'll do whatever I have to do; I'm not going to give up…especially on my life, and with Atirddez and his goons still on the loose."
Suddenly, Tommy broke into a smile. Then he wavered and he transformed into King Lexian. Maxi was so surprised she actually jumped from her sitting position to her feet…then grimaced in pain. King Lexian's form was identical to Tommy's, blue-whitish and transparent. He stood facing Maxi, his smile warm and welcoming.
"Congratulations, Maximilian," he said.
Maxi frowned confused. "Congratulations for what?" she asked.
King Lexian smirked. "Looks like that blow really took its toll on your head," he joked, causing Maxi's eyes to widen. That didn't seem like a very wise-old-king thing to say. King Lexian must've thought so too, because he chuckled. "It's been a while since I've cracked jokes. It's good to be here, in the world of In-Between, you can live here in any age you want. That way, people don't stare at me—like how you're doing now—when I want to let lose." He laughed again and waved his hand dismissively. Maxi was too surprised to say anything.
"Anyways," Lexian said with a sigh. "Congratulations Maximilian, for winning the battle for your life."
"I've won?" Maxi asked. "Just like that? But I haven't done anything yet!"
"You've already said you would never give up," Lexian told her. "That's all they really wanted to hear." Maxi stared at him. "…unless of course, you want there to be more."
"No!"
King Lexian laughed. "Now go. You have an Earth to save." His motioned with his arm and a vortex appeared, white and bright compared to the dark black surroundings.
Maxi didn't know what to do, so she bowed to show her respect. "Thank you King Lexian of Edenoi."
"You're welcome, Sage Maximilian of Earth. Go forth and may the Power protect you."
I know, it was kind of weak. I couldn't really think of anything, so I was like, what the heck? Review please!
