Chapter 10: Petrified Xander

Rock Porium seemed the most chaotic right before their lunchtime, as customers crowded in on their own lunch breaks to peruse and occasionally enjoy listening to Vida on the DJ stage. However, even as most of them rushed around helping customers find what they wanted or serving them at the tills, Chip wandered around without looking up from the worn fragment of paper in his hands.

"Maybe you should sit down while you do that?" Titania suggested as she quickly guided Chip around a man before he could walk straight into him. Chip didn't seem to notice even as the man glared at him.

"I don't know what good staring at it will do. You've spent weeks hitting your heads against the wall," Tári commented as she moved the headphones she was using to listen to a CD that Nick had recommended.

"Better than nothing, I suppose," Carvallain mused idly, watching Chip as if hoping that something would click for the Lightning Mystic. Unfortunately, Chip had been staring at it for hours, barely speaking, and had figured nothing out.

"Hey Chip!" Vida called over as Chip walked by her and Xander at the counter. "Any luck with you know what?" she asked, barely looking up from the receipts she was counting. Chip tilted the paper to the side as if a different angle would help.

"Nah," he sighed. Vida then let out a sharp laugh, slamming the receipts against the counter.

"I've outsold you by $12 and 50 cents. I win the bet," Vida declared as Xander organised the vinyls on the shelf behind the counter. "You owe me lunch," she told the Green Ranger.

"Not so fast," Xander refused to give in as Titania stopped Chip from walking into him. "Xander the Great still has four minutes to go," he pointed out. Vida rolled her eyes, doubting that he'd be able to make enough in time.

"Has he ever beaten you?" Titania asked as she turned to Vida, aware that the two ended up making a bet about who the better salesperson was at least once a week. Vida smirked at her.

"Never," she declared, making Titania laugh. Xander ignored the pair, but they didn't miss him grumbling under his breath. They laughed more, until a familiar face strutted into the store.

"LeeLee," Vida's acknowledgement was flat as the blonde tossed her hair over her shoulder. Titania fell quiet, slipping out from behind the counter before a snide comment could be made.

"Can somebody help me here?" LeeLee asked expectantly. Sensing a potential sale that could win him the bet, Xander instantly whirled around. Vida didn't bother to try and intercept, choosing to risk her victory instead of helping the rude young woman.

"Afternoon, LeeLee," Xander flashed his most charming smile at her, shoving Vida aside. "You look like a Zeppelin fan," he said as he leaned on the counter. "Can I interest you in something?" he offered, only to be surprised when LeeLee sneered at him, not bothering to hold back her laughter.

"Nice zit, Rudolph," at her sneer, LeeLee turned on her heel and strutted away.

"Zit?" Xander repeated, until it finally caught his attention. Right on the end of his nose was a massive pimple that was blotchy and red. Horror made him go pale. "Whoa!" he gasped, and pushed Vida aside again to peer into a mirror nearby. He sucked in a breath, staring in horror at the blemish as Vida and Chip both burst out laughing.

"Oh, Xander the Great…" Vida mocked with a laugh. "…Big Pimple!" she declared. Even Titania couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculously large the pimple was.

"It totally ruins my perfect profile…" Xander moaned in horror, unable to take his eyes off it. "This zit is like having an extra nose!" he complained loudly. Instantly a thought sparked in Chip's head, and his eyes lit up.

"That's it!" he shouted as he rushed closer. "Maybe the scroll to the Fireheart is like two halves of the same face! Minus the zit, of course," he added. Instantly Vida and Titania hissed at him to lower his voice, well aware that there were others around. LeeLee quickly turned away from them as they looked up, making sure she hadn't heard.

"Yes!" Toby's roar was so loud that it shook open the blinds to his office. "Success!" his delighted yells earned drew their attention, and they missed LeeLee slipping out of Rock Porium as their boss pushed open the door to his office. Titania stared, caught off guard by the strange magnifying glasses he wore as he gestured to the strange, multicoloured puzzle in his hands. "I finished this entire crypto-magnetic puzzle in just under 40 minutes," Toby bragged to them, proud of himself. "I should work for the CIA or the FBI…" he mused as Vida giggled. "Or better still…the Power Rangers!" his declaration made them all jolt as even Xander tore his gaze from the mirror to stare at him. Toby frowned, some of his eagerness fading as he didn't understand their reaction. "What did I say?" he asked, confused.

"Nothing!" Vida said quickly.

"That's a great idea," Chip gulped as Titania watched them, more curious about how they would explain their strange reactions to his consideration.

"You should…uh…"

"Give them a call!" Chip finished for Vida, who nodded. Toby's excitement returned full force.

"A call! Give them a call!" he shouted, already turning to run back into his office.

"Does…does he think he knows our number?" Titania wondered, which made Vida and Chip burst out laughing again as Xander just sighed at his reflection.

Once their lunch break started at the Rangers were able to return to Rootcore, where Nick, Maddie and Carvallain were already gathered. Tári was standing with Claire, helping her tend to the flowers that Claire had gathered that morning as a gift for Udonna.

"Then it hit me!" Chip was chattering eagerly as he told them how he'd managed to finally decipher the scroll of the Fireheart.

"Tell us!" Maddie said eagerly.

"Yes, please spare us from any more late nights trying to understand," Carvallain almost pleaded with him, worn out from their fruitless attempts to decipher the scroll.

"The mirror was the key!" Chip grinned widely. "So while Xander was staring at himself, and I was staring at Xander…" they glanced over to where the young man was moping, staring into another mirror and prodding at the pimple that seemed to be getting even bigger. "The answer was staring at me," Xander let out a whine of protest when Chip yanked the mirror from his hands.

They all watched, curious as Chip held the parchment up to the mirror, creating a symmetrical appearance. Instantly recognition hit them all. "What mountain does that look like?" he grinned.

"Mount Fuego!" the other Rangers - bar Xander - exclaimed together. They recognised the mountain not too far from Rootcore, having learned about the area from Taliesin during one of their lessons with the former Moon Mystic.

"Incredible," Carvallain breathed, leaning closer to study it. "Great work figuring it out," he praised the Yellow Ranger. The others echoed the sentiment, and Chip beamed with pride.

"So this Fireheart is somewhere on Mount Fuego. We need to find it. We may have defeated Necrolai, but that won't stop Koragg or one of the Master's other minions from going after it in her place," Titania looked up from the map, pushing down the feelings that stirred at the knowledge that her father had been the one to create it.

"You're right," Nick agreed. "Let's go. The Fireheart is waiting; we'll have to split up to cover that much territory," he said, and walked over to Xander to earn his attention. When the Earth Mystic turned, Nick winced and walked away without a word.

"There should be a concoction around here to help reduce the swelling. Do you want me to get that before we go?" Titania offered, seeing the distress in Xander's face. She didn't fully understand why he was so distraught, but she wanted to help all the same. Xander opened his mouth to accept, but stopped when another thought came to him. He glanced over to where Tári was walking out to check on Obsidian, who was still recovering his strength after helping to create the Dawn Crystal.

"Let's make a deal," he said instead. Temptation shone in Titania's dark eyes, and she cocked her head.

"You only stopped sneezing glitter a short while ago. You truly are a glutton for punishment," she teased him, and Xander felt a little bit more hopeful when she didn't turn him down immediately. "What do you want?" Titania asked as the air seemed to shimmer with power.

"Restore my perfect profile. Get rid of this zit," Xander said, trying to be as specific as he could as he thought about their last deal and Chip's words of advice. Titania nodded.

"Alright," she agreed. "But in return…I want a secret from you. It doesn't have to be right now," Titania was well aware that the others were waiting for them. "But I want a secret, one that you've never told anyone," she requested. Xander hesitated, wondering if it was worth it. Brushing the painful pimple with his fingers again, he nodded.

"Deal," he clasped her much smaller hand and shook, feeling the familiar pulse of magic around them. Titania grinned the same devious smile as last time.

"I have a feeling, Xander, that you're going to be my best customer," she teased him. Before he could say anything, she reached up and poked the pimple on his nose, making him wince in pain.

"Hey!" he complained, and Titania laughed.

"Give it a few minutes, and your perfect profile will be back to normal," she said, still teasing, and Xander couldn't help but blush in response. "Now come on," Titania grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of Rootcore before he could say anything else.

It didn't take too long for the Rangers to reach Mount Fuego; a mountain with twin peaks that stretched up above the treeline and into the clouds. Once they arrived at the mountain, the Rangers split up into three groups to explore, trying to find anything to do with the Fireheart.

"So what do you suppose this mysterious Fireheart is?" Titania asked Carvallain as she followed him up the steep climb. His longer legs gave him the advantage, but he kept a slower pace so she didn't fall behind.

"I would hope that it's something powerful enough to give us an advantage over dark forces," he admitted as they took a break, both breathing heavily from the exertion of climbing such a steep path. "But this all feels too elaborate to be a weapon. Your father hid a map in the Human Realm that led to another map deep within the Cimmerion Forest. And this map led us here, to Mount Fuego," Carvallain shook his head as he spoke the thoughts he'd been having for a while.

"Penelope said that it's just like my father to lead us in circles like this," Titania shuffled her feet and turned to look out. From the height they were at, they could see for miles. "Though that could just be a Fae thing," she said softly.

Carvallain watched her, hearing the same tone in her voice that he often had when he thought about his parents. At least he had some memories of them, and still had Tári and his uncle, not to mention the kingdom he would one day rule. He quickly shoved that thought down.

Titania still had her back to him when she spoke again. "I believe you're right. It wouldn't be a weapon. He would have shared that knowledge with the other Mystics and retrieved it during the Great War if it were something that would help give them an advantage," she said confidently.

"Either way, let us hope that we can find it first," Carvallain said. Titania turned back and nodded. They continued to walk, searching for anything that seemed out of the ordinary, until they felt the rumbling across the mountain. Carvallain's sharp ears heard the telltale boom of an explosion, and frowned.

"It would seem that the others have either found what we're looking for, or they have run into trouble," he warned his companion.

"Let's go find out," she said, and they carefully but quickly started to make their descent back down the mountain. They met up with Nick, Maddie and Chip as they reached the bottom of the mountain again, and judging from their looks, they'd heard the commotion too.

"There!" Carvallain heard Xander and Vida approach, and they hurried to check on the two. They found the two out of breath and carrying a large chest between them, while Vida was covered in green slime that was drying in the sun.

"We heard an explosion," Nick said when the two set the chest down in the middle of them. Maddie crouched beside it to study it curiously, and Chip and Vida tried to wrench it open.

"That won't work," Titania warned them as she knelt beside it too. Her sharp eyes were scanning every inch of the large chest, as she sensed familiar magic surrounding it that called to her own. "It's enchanted. I think it's a Fae Puzzle," she realised.

"A Fae Puzzle?" Nick repeated. Titania nodded as she looked up at him.

"I've never seen one, but apparently my mother would often hide things away inside to torment Penelope and the others," she said. "They're highly complicated, and if they aren't opened within the time limit, they'll be sealed forever," Titania explained, making them wince.

"Look at this," Maddie spotted a scroll attached to the front of the chest, undoing the ribbon to pull it free. As she did, a timer started to tick down.

"What was that about a time limit?" Vida winced as Maddie bit her lip. Titania took the scroll from her when she spotted the Old Fae handwriting, reading it aloud.

"This ancient puzzle is your task at hand, solve it quickly to receive what's grand. But if you fail this timely chore, the Fireheart will be no more," she warned gravely. It was as she'd warned - it was a Fae Puzzle, and they had less than an hour to solve it.

Before they could start to try deciphering the puzzle, a blast of dark magic hit the ground by their feet and exploded up, sending them flying.

"Hand over the chest!" a monster demanded as they landed in the grass. The chest was completely unharmed, repelling the magic. Hidiacs burst up from all around them, roaring and snarling in anger.

"Let's Ranger up!" Nick shouted. "Ready?"

"Ready!"

"MAGICAL SOURCE, MYSTIC FORCE!" they shouted, Morphing and immediately launching into battle. The Rangers scattered, each taking on a small group of the Hidiacs that were trying to get the chest they kept safe in the middle.

"Magi Staff, Spear Mode!" Carvallain raised his weapon, focusing magic through it so that it changed forms. As it did, he spun the Spear and tripped up the Hidiacs launching themselves at him. They hit the ground with squeals, and Carvallain kept moving around the attacks that seemed to come from everywhere, destroying them with bursts of Silver Moon Magic that shot from the tip of his spear.

With a laugh, Titania moved around the Hidiacs with swift movements. She swiped at any monster that got too close; her Magi Staff hitting weak spots with ruthless precision. She was still grinning when she spun suddenly, facing the Hidiacs that she had herded together without them realising.

"Magi Staff!" she held up her Staff as it flashed with her magic, and the Hidiacs froze as they were trapped within a small bubble of time.

"Magi Staff!" Maddie moved to stand beside Titania, and with a wave of her own weapon, she created a burst of water that swept the Hidiacs away before they even realised it. "Nice!" she laughed, high-fiving Titania as the Fae giggled with delight.

Nearby, Nick found himself thrown back by the leader of the Hidiacs, who was larger and stronger than the rest of the footsoldiers. As he hit the ground, Xander leapt in and countered before the monster could strike Nick again.

"That was close," Nick jumped to his feet and patted Xander on the shoulder thankfully, as the Hidiacs were destroyed. "Come on, let's get it back to Rootcore before anyone else shows up," he told the team.

"And hopefully figure out just how to solve it," Carvallain added, well aware that their time was ticking down.

"I didn't think I'd ever see one of these things again," Fáfnir mused as he stood in front of the Fae Puzzle chest with his arms crossed over his broad chest. "Forgot how much I hated 'em," he complained.

"So you don't know how to solve it?" Titania asked sadly. The Dwarf shook his head and shrugged.

"Penelope was always the best at figuring out the answer," he looked up at the red-haired woman who was crouched beside him, studying it with sharp eyes.

"I had to be. Nimble was forever locking away my things in them," there was a sadness in her gaze as Penelope spoke. "Especially my wand…and any tokens of affection Caspian sent when he courted me," she added. Fáfnir snorted at her words, and Penelope shook her head to clear her mind of thoughts of the past. "This is a far more difficult puzzle than Nim ever created for us. Dusk truly intended for the Fireheart to stay out of the wrong hands," she told them seriously.

"And it's still counting down…" Maddie groaned as the timer ticked down to 39 minutes.

"Chip? You're really good with this stuff," Vida looked at her best friend, who was pacing around the chest as he studied it carefully.

"Sorry guys…I've never seen a puzzle like this," he looked apologetic. "I don't know where to even begin," Chip admitted.

"That's the fun of a Fae Puzzle," Fáfnir shrugged once again.

"Titania?" Nick glanced at Titania, who shook her head quickly.

"Even I don't know. This is my first time seeing one, remember?" Titania pointed out. "Even if I tried to use my magic to counter my father's, it would take far longer than the time we've got left just to try and understand it," she admitted with a frustrated huff. Penelope straightened, and put a comforting hand on the Fae's shoulder.

"We've already lost half an hour," Maddie pointed out, unable to stop watching the timer ticking down. With every second that ticked down, the tension seemed to grow heavier.

"You've still got leaves stuck in your hair from the battle," distracted from the chest, Nick walked over to Xander to pull free a leaf that was sticking out from behind his ear. To his surprise, it didn't budge, and Xander let out a cry of pain that startled him into letting go. "Whoa," Nick stared at him, realising that there was more than one leaf in his hair.

"It's nothing, really," Xander turned away, and the others saw the leaves sticking out. After a moment, he let out a sigh and turned back. "I'm just having…a little issue," all of them, including Penelope and Fáfnir, gasped as he lifted his arms from under his cape to reveal that they had gained a wooden cover.

"What the-" Fáfnir snorted as the others couldn't control their laughter at how ridiculous he looked. Instantly a hurt, defensive look crossed Xander's face.

"This is funny to you guys?" he demanded as tears of laughter rolled down Vida's face. Maddie was the only one who tried to contain herself, but only managed to stop her laughter for a moment before she broke.

"Come on, Xander," Vida giggled as she saw Xander's face. "Hey, you always laugh when Claire turns herself into funny stuff," she couldn't even finish speaking before she burst out laughing again.

"I'm sure it's just a side effect of your organic powers," Maddie suggested, looking at Fáfnir for an explanation. The former Earth Mystic was staring at Xander and stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"Possibly," he grunted when he realised they were watching him. "I never experienced anything like it, but it's not exactly common for humans to wield magic, especially as powerful as you lot seem to be," Fáfnir considered, voicing his thoughts aloud. "Should settle shortly. Just don't use magic for a little while," he suggested. Xander grumbled under his breath as the others continued to laugh. Even Carvallain had a hand over his mouth as his shoulders shook as Titania giggled at the sight.

"Yeah!" Maddie nodded, trying to sound encouraging. "It'll go away…knock on wood," she giggled, and the others laughed even harder.

"Guys, come on, enough," Nick scolded, trying to sound stern. They managed to compose themselves at their leader's request, before the Fire Mystic's grin returned. "Leaf Xander alone," he giggled, starting up another wave of laughter.

"Yep, definitely the perfect successor to Dusk," Penelope muttered under her breath. Fáfnir chuckled as Xander rolled his eyes.

"Guys, can we focus on something more important, like opening the chest?" he asked, nodding to the puzzle chest as he hid his arms back under his cape. "We're running out of time," Xander reminded. His words instantly sobered the others, and they fell quiet as they turned back to the chest in hopes of thinking of some way to open it.

"Hey, I got it!" Chip exclaimed suddenly, making them all turn to him.

"What, you solved the puzzle?" Maddie asked, both hopeful and in disbelief. Chip shook his head, but was grinning.

"No, but I think I know who can," he said.

Toby's eyes shone with excitement as he studied the chest that had been set on the counter in front of him. The moment Chip had told him that it was a puzzle, he had tuned out anything else that was said.

"Hardest puzzle in the world, huh?" his voice quivered with excitement at the very notion. After solving his crypto-magnetic puzzle that morning, the owner had been bored, looking for something that would prove even more difficult.

"Next to impossible," Chip said brightly. "One chance to solve it. Can you beat the clock?" he asked their boss. Toby inhaled quietly.

"I can solve it in less than an hour," he said with utter confidence, lifting the chest to haul it into his office.

"This better work," Vida warned. They had all been concerned about leaving the Fae Puzzle with Toby, but Chip had insisted that he was the only one who could solve it with what little time they had left.

"Hey, don't worry," Chip grinned at her. "As soon as he figures it out, Titania's gonna use a little Fae magic to create a diversion before he can open it," he gestured to where Titania was sitting on the counter nearby. She grinned at them deviously, and Vida had a suspicion that she was enjoying the idea of creating a distraction more than she should have. "Simple," Chip declared, pleased with himself for coming up with the idea. Vida didn't look fully convinced, but she knew it was their only shot.

"Famous last words," she warned him as she walked away. Titania laughed.

"I believe in your plan. And I've seen Toby with those other puzzles. If anyone can figure out this puzzle, it's him," she told Chip, who smiled.

"Titania," hearing the hissed voice, she looked away from the Yellow Ranger as he got back to work, and her eyebrows rose as she took in Xander's appearance. He wore a large hat, sunglasses and heavy coat that seemed too warm for the nice weather they were having, almost entirely obscuring his appearance.

"Xander?" she jumped down and followed him as he gestured for her to follow out of sight. "What's going on? Why are you dressed so strangely?" Titania asked when he pulled his sunglasses off.

"It's getting worse," he whispered to her, tugging down the collar of his coat to reveal the moss growing on his chest. Titania cocked her head, looking confused. "I didn't use my magic at all, just like Fáfnir said, but it's getting worse instead of better. I think it's out of control," he told her.

"Maybe it just needs more time to settle? It's only been a few minutes," she pointed out, but Xander shook his head and scratched at his chest. To his horror, what had been moss a moment ago was now wood that was spreading up his neck.

"What if it doesn't stop? What if it gets worse?" he asked, his voice tinged with fear. "I can feel my magic under the surface where the wood is, even when I'm not using it," Xander shook his head, and Titania glanced over to where Chip was trying to discreetly keep an eye on Toby. "I've gotta get out of here before anyone sees," Xander hissed, and put a hand to his face as he felt the wood spreading across part of it, almost like a mask.

"I'll go back to Rootcore and see if I can find anything out. You should come with me," Titania told him. Xander shook his head, taking a step back.

"I can't let anyone see me. Just…call me when you find something out," too embarrassed to let anyone see what he looked like, he turned and rushed back out before Titania could stop him.

"This isn't good," she whispered. "Chip, I have to go, but I'll send Carvallain to help," she called over her shoulder to the Yellow Ranger. He looked curious, but nodded, and Titania ran out the door.

To Titania's relief, Penelope was still at Rootcore when she returned. Having been checking their potion supply and making a note of what was needed, the former Water Mystic turned at the sound of her walking into the main room and smiled.

"What brings you back so suddenly, little spark?" Penelope asked, having expected Titania to stay with the others while they waited for Toby to solve the puzzle.

"I'm worried about Xander," the Fae told her, walking over to the woman who had helped raise her. "His powers seem to be growing more and more out of control by the moment. It's almost like he's becoming a Ghillie Dhu," she considered. Penelope hummed, setting down the paper in her hand to face Titania fully.

"Well if his magic is unstable and causing a physical reaction to his body, there must be a reason for it," Penelope said, thinking about what she'd seen of the young man when he'd shown the bark on his arms. "If it had been anything in the fight you had, I believe more of you would be showing some form of symptoms, so perhaps he cast a spell incorrectly that's backfired? It wouldn't be the first time any of you had done so," Penelope considered. Titania shook her head.

"He would have said if he'd done somethi…" she trailed off, and the colour leeched from her skin.

"Titania?" Penelope called her name gently, seeing the horror on her face.

"He made a deal…" she whispered so quietly that the woman barely heard her. Penelope went still, and Titania lifted her gaze to meet hers. "He wanted a pimple on his nose gone. I did it, but maybe…"

"It could be that you went too deep with your magic, drawing out his inner-self, so to speak," Penelope mused, shaking her head. "That boy. First he makes a deal that almost got you both eaten by a Borbeast, and now this. Daggeron would have his head for such frivolous deals," she muttered. Titania blinked, surprised that she would mention the knight whom Hermes often said was so straight-laced that he was shocked he believed in magic.

"I don't even know if I can break a deal," Titania said, her fists clenched at her side.

"I don't believe you need to," Penelope put her hands on her young charge's shoulders when she saw the frustration in her face. "You are more powerful than you realise, Titania. Use your magic to untangle what's been done. This wasn't part of the deal, so it should be fine," she encouraged her. Titania nodded, still looking uneasy.

"Okay. Thank you," she managed a small smile at Penelope.

"Maybe it'll teach him not to be in such a hurry to make deals with Fae. Honestly," her smile grew at the exasperated words. "Now go, before you can't find the tree for the forest," Penelope shooed her lightly, and Titania raced out of Rootcore. "Maybe I was right to be worried about how much of an influence the humans are on her…particularly Xander," she mused aloud.

"I believe it's a good thing," she glanced over her shoulder as Tári walked in, carrying the snoozing Carbuncle in her arms. His fur was still somewhat dull, but looked a lot better than before. "And it's certainly interesting," the Eladrin smiled knowingly. Penelope sighed.

"I'm so not ready for that," she complained.

It didn't take Titania too long to find Xander, who had retreated into the magical forest in his misery. He'd run into Phineas, who was letting him mope in his small camp when Titania arrived.

"Hey Phineas," she smiled warmly at the Troblin, who grinned back.

"Watch what you say. Tough crowd," he warned, jerking his head obviously towards Xander. Titania glanced over to the Earth Mystic, who had abandoned his disguise as he'd turned almost entirely into some kind of tree.

"Thanks," Titania patted his arm as she walked past. Xander jolted as she approached. "I've been looking everywhere for you. I told you that you should have come back to Rootcore," she scolded him, hiding her concern under her annoyance.

"I figured I'd fit in better here," he grumbled back at her, bitter as she looked at the leaves protruding from the top of his head.

"I think I figured out what happened," Titania said as she stood in front of him. Xander just shook his head, barely looking up at her.

"It's too late. Look at me!" Xander's bitterness grew as he glared at his bark-covered hands. "I was so worried about looking perfect, and now…I'll never be able to show my face to anyone ever again. Xander the Great is gone for good," his voice shook as Titania sat down beside him.

"Why does it matter so much?" the soft question surprised Xander, and he finally lifted his head to look at the Fae sitting beside him. "Looking perfect. You were so worked up about it that you even made a deal to restore your looks. Just because you look different, doesn't mean you're any different on the inside," Titania smiled as Xander stayed quiet, not sure how to answer her question.

When he didn't reply, Titania nudged him gently. "You're still the same self-assured, confident guy we know. And I'm sorry for laughing before," she apologised, resting a hand on his arm. The wood was rough, scratching her palm.

"Can I really still be that guy when I look like this?" Xander wondered quietly. Titania's smile was confident.

"Of course you can," she said, so simply that he almost believed her. "Because you were never just a pretty face to me. Or Carvallain, or anyone who matters," Titania told him. Xander took in a breath as he mulled over her words, and gave a tentative nod.

"You're right," he agreed. "I am more than just my looks," his words brought an even bigger smile to Titania's face.

"Good," she nodded, pleased with his words. She took his hand, getting to her feet. "So get up and let's revert the problem I caused, shall we?" Titania laughed. Wanting to see that smile on her face still, Xander got to his feet.

"Is that what happened? Our deal?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Sort of. Apparently when I was restoring your perfect profile, I dug too deep. Your magic reacted and wanted to help," she said, and he winced. No wonder his magic felt so out of whack. "Close your eyes," Titania instructed, taking his other hand as well, and both closed their eyes. For a moment, it seemed like nothing was happening. Then a shiver ran down Xander's spine as he felt the brush of her warm magic, tangling with his own before tugging. Like a knot coming undone, he felt his magic suddenly flowing more steadily. So steadily that he stumbled, almost tripping backwards over the log he'd been sitting on.

For a moment, Xander was afraid to open his eyes. While he meant what he said; he could be more than just his looks - he was still afraid to look down and see himself still tree-like. Titania's giggle rang out. "You can open your eyes now," she said, and Xander finally did so. His hands, still clasping Titania's, were back to normal. His arms too, and he could feel the breeze against his face again instead of the uncomfortable feeling of wood.

"I'm back!" Xander laughed, pulling Titania close to lift her off her feet in a tight hug. "Thank you!" he exclaimed, whirling her around as she laughed.

"Next time, just take up my offer of a potion," Titania teased as he set her back down on her feet.

"Lesson learned," he agreed, before his Morpher chimed and earned their attention. He pulled it from his pouch, flipping it open to see every of the keys flashing with magic. His smile widened. "New Spell Code," he said as Titania's smile widened.

"Nice work," she praised.

"Guys!" Nick's shout earned their attention. "We need your help, hurry!" he told them, and their smiles faded.

"I guess the bad guys haven't taken kindly to us getting the Fireheart first," Titania said.

"Let's go," the two raced off, unaware of Phineas returning to find nobody but the trees around him.

After the last batch of Hidiacs had been so thoroughly trounced, the next wave was far greater in number with a powerful monster leading them.

"Nick!" Carvallain shouted, earning his attention. The Silver Ranger swung his sword, cutting through the Hidiac in front of him. "Over there!" he warned, gesturing to the leader whose red eyes seemed to glow even in the daylight. With a growl, the monster stalked off in the direction of Rock Porium, but Nick found himself surrounded by even more Hidiacs before he could try and give chase. "Relentless fools!" Carvallain kicked another Hidiac away from Vida and carved down its chest with his prized sword, only for another three to take its place.

"They just keep coming!" the Pink Ranger growled. She could feel her strength waning from constantly fighting, and judging from Carvallain's heavy breathing, he was the same.

"Over there!" to his relief, Xander's shout caught his attention over the battle, and the Green and Black Rangers ran into view already Morphed.

"Nick!" Titania called, and he looked up from where he was holding onto a thrashing Hidiac.

"Just in time," he shouted over, glad to see them. "That bonehead's going after the Fireheart!" Nick warned.

"Okay. I'll get him," Xander told Titania, who nodded.

"Good luck," she said, running to help the others with the Hidiacs as Xander veered off to chase after the monster. "Magi Staff!" Titania grabbed her weapon and cut through the Hidiacs that were in her way before she reached Nick. Using her smaller size to her advantage, she ducked under his arm and punched the Hidiac lunging at him from behind.

"Thanks," Nick nodded to her, taking the moment to catch his breath.

"They really want the Fireheart," she considered as she dodged the Hidiacs lashing out at her. Her Staff flashed, and they froze.

"Well they can't have it!" Nick declared as he swung his sword to cut through the monsters. For a moment, nothing happened. Then they jerked and turned to dust as time returned to normal for them.

Slowly but surely the six Rangers started to gain the upper hand against the Hidiacs, and finally started to notice their numbers dwindling. With a laugh, Vida conjured up a powerful tornado, lifting their enemies off their feet and sending them flying.

"That never gets old," her wild grin was hidden by her helmet when she landed lightly.

"Did Xander go after the big guy?" Chip asked when they at last found themselves alone in the square that had become their battlefield.

"Come on!" Nick didn't wait around, leading them in the direction that the monster and Xander had gone in. They spotted their teammate right as his opponent was smashed to pieces, exploding.

"You did it!" Vida cheered as he glanced around at them. Nick looked at the punching gloves that Xander wore curiously, seeing the Mystic symbol on them.

"Those are…unusual," Carvallain commented, a little taken aback by the strange gloves.

"Got a new Spell Code!" Xander explained with a laugh, lifting his fists before the gloves faded.

"We all got it! I guess we can all use it," Chip realised as he grabbed his Morpher and saw the Code flashing. He bounced on the spot, excited to give them a try.

"We better get back to Toby. There's only a few minutes left for him to solve the puzzle," Carvallain reminded them, and they quickly hurried to return to Rock Porium.

"I see you're back to normal," Maddie smiled as they stood in Rock Porium. Toby was still in his office, looking even more frazzled than usual as sweat ran down his face.

"Yeah," Xander nodded. He glanced at Titania, who was peering in the window curiously, and shrugged. "It's a long story," he told Maddie. Her smile grew.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay," she told him. Xander huffed out a quiet laugh.

"Me too," he said, rubbing his arm as if trying to reassure himself that he wasn't going to suddenly turn into a tree. Glancing at Titania again, he reached out and caught her attention. "I guess I still owe you a secret," Xander remembered once they were out of earshot of the others.

"It can wait if you still need time," Titania said patiently, watching the indecision on his face. She grinned. "Fae bargains don't have to be called in immediately," she explained. Xander frowned.

"Then why did you call in the last one right after I finished getting all that muck off from the Cimmerion Forest?" he complained. A mischievous look shone on Titania's face.

"Because it was funny," she answered so simply that he couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay then. I'll wait for now," Xander agreed. Titania nodded. "But thank you, for helping me out today," he added.

"Anytime," Titania winked.

"Wait! I think I've got it!" Toby's elated voice was loud and earned everyone's attention. They all rushed to his office, which was a mess of papers stuck to every part of the wall with string connecting them.

"You solved it?" Chip asked eagerly. The timer was down to the last few seconds as Toby's hands shook.

"Yes, yes! It's a mathematical conundrum," Toby's voice was rambling. "You see, each of these buttons corresponds to a number that when divided by Pi gives us a series of images that all point towards…this button," he gestured. Tense, all of them watched as Vida, the closest to the chest, reached out to press a button. Instantly the chest began to make a series of whirring sounds, and with the timer ticking down to one second, the lock opened.

"It worked," Carvallain's shoulders sagged in relief as everyone let out laughs.

"I'm the greatest puzzle solver on the face of the planet!" Toby yelled with glee, delighted that he had solved what Chip had described as the most difficult puzzle ever created.

"Thanks a lot, Toby!" the Rangers chorused, and Chip and Nick quickly lifted the chest from the table before he could see what was inside. When he realised, he gave a shout for them to wait.

"What's inside?!" he demanded, still shaking from the adrenaline of solving the puzzle in time. "You gotta tell me," Toby pleaded with them. Chip glanced to Titania, whom he had tasked with distracting the man while they got away with the chest.

"Actually, Toby," the Black Ranger stepped between him and the others with her usual disarming smile. "My father made that puzzle," her confession took them all by surprise.

"Your father?!" Toby reared back, looking awestruck. Titania nodded.

"I wanted to try and learn from him, so I made this," she held up a smaller box in her hands, and the others felt the lingering presence of her Fae magic around it. "This one's for you. If you can solve it, can you tell me how it was?" Titania asked. The idea of another puzzle made Toby's eyes light up.

"Yes! This is amazing!" he exclaimed, taking it from her and rushing back into his office.

"Did you really make a Fae Puzzle?" Maddie asked as they hurried out before Toby could realise he still hadn't learned about the other. Titania laughed.

"I can't lie, remember?" she pointed out.

"No, but you're remarkably talented at working around the truth," Carvallain's dry comment made her stick her tongue out at him.

"In this case, there's no working around anything. After getting a look at that puzzle, and going from what Penelope and now Toby said about them, I was able to craft one," Titania explained.

"What's inside it?" Chip asked as they hauled the chest out the door. Titania flashed a grin at him.

"That's for Toby to find out," she said, and the others laughed.

When the team managed to finally haul the puzzle chest back to Rootcore, Udonna had returned from her errands and Fáfnir looked just as curious as she did.

"How did you open it?" Tári asked as Carvallain took Obsidian from her. His companion looked up sleepily to nuzzle his chin, before returning to sleep.

"Toby cracked it. I think it almost cracked him, though," Vida grinned, thinking about how wild their boss had seemed by the time he worked out the answer.

"Not bad for a normal human," Fáfnir snorted. "Would have liked having him around back in the day, especially when Nimble locked away my axe," he commented.

"Be careful," Nick warned over his shoulder to the Dwarf. "Titania figured out how to make them," he said, and Fáfnir gave a laugh as he turned to the mischievous Fae. She looked entirely unapologetic.

"Is that so? Nice work, lass," he praised her. Titania's smile widened.

"Just don't lock away our stuff," Xander requested. She grinned at him.

"I can't promise that," she said, and they all groaned before turning to the chest in front of them. Finally they couldn't wait any longer, and Nick took a breath before grasping the lid. They all leaned closer, holding their breath as he lifted the lid to reveal the contents inside.

For a moment, the five Mystics from the human world were confused at the sight. Carvallain swore quietly in awe as Tári put her hands to her mouth. Titania tilted her head, and looked up as Fáfnir whistled.

"Is that…" Titania started, but Chip spoke first.

"An egg?" he asked, not understanding. "The Fireheart is an egg?" he asked. The egg was larger than an Ostrich egg, mainly red in colour with a golden mosaic pattern and blue spots that glimmered in the light like gemstones. Heat seemed to radiate from the egg even though it had been in a chest for an unknown length of time, and they could feel the magic in the heat.

"That is no ordinary egg, Chip," Udonna looked stunned. "This…is the last Dragon egg."

Another very fun one to write. Hope you liked it!

Please review!