Chapter 4: Rock Solid

Rock Porium was a fascinating place for someone like Titania to hang out. As someone who wasn't from their world, she was always learning about her new friends and teammates.

Unlike Carvallain, who rarely graced them with his presence outside of the Magical Realm, Titania would frequently hang out with the team, and had already become a good friend to them. Even Toby hadn't minded much about her being there - the moment he found out that she didn't know much about music, he had been more than happy to impart his wisdom.

At this moment, Titania was sitting with her legs pulled in close as she read one of the many graphic novels sold in the shop, while she listened to Vida playing music. The Pink Ranger was dancing behind the DJ deck that she constantly used, while Maddie filmed her on her camera.

"What's got your attention this week, Titania?" Maddie got her attention, and Titania looked up to see the camera pointed at her. That had been something she'd struggled to get used to at first - Maddie was usually filming in her spare time, or when the shop was quiet, and she was more than happy to include Titania in that.

"Uh…this one's called Horimiya! Chip said it was good," she said, holding up the manga in her hand.

"I did recommend some other stuff, but she's really into the slice of life stuff," Chip grinned as he walked by, trying to do some work for once. Titania shrugged.

"I like seeing what you humans consider 'normal life' in your literature," she answered simply, and Maddie couldn't help but laugh.

"Trust Chip to get you hooked on the nerdy stuff," Xander teased, sitting on one of the other chairs with a paper in hand. Titania stuck her tongue out at him in response.

"And what are you reading?" Maddie asked as she turned her camera on him.

"There's been another attack," Xander held up the paper for Maddie to see the headline. "Man turned to stone," he read, and Titania moved to perch on the arm of the chair to read it.

"Even I know that's not normal for this world," she said, keeping her voice down. LeeLee, the pretty blonde who frequented the shop trying to get Nick to go out with her, was browsing the CDs nearby.

"Any ideas on something from your world?" Xander asked as he glanced up. Titania hummed.

"There's a few creatures with the ability to turn people to stone. Gorgons, Basilisks, Beholders…Cockatrice-"

"Aren't those big chickens?" Xander interrupted, which made Titania start laughing.

"Not quite," she giggled. "Any number of them could have agreed to work Koragg and Necrolai. They all reside in the darker parts of the Magical Realm, and none of them are very nice," Titania added, remembering the reason they had asked in the first place. "And as payment for answering your question, I'm taking this," before Xander had realised it, she'd snatched the paper from him and darted off with a devious giggle.

"Hey! I was still reading that!" he complained, but she was already back in her own seat and reading it. Maddie was laughing, delighted that she'd caught the whole thing on her camera.

"You should know by now that you can't just ask Titania a question," Chip shook his head, and Xander turned an irritated look on him. They all knew that asking a simple question wasn't enough to be considered a 'deal', but Titania always enjoyed teasing them about it if they had something she wanted.

"Aren't we meant to be marking them down?" he asked, and Chip turned to him with an expectant look.

"Yeah, we are," he stressed as the camera was turned on him. "I suppose you're supervising, right?" Chip guessed, and Xander's grin returned.

"He catches on fast!" he exclaimed as Maddie turned back to him to get his response. She shook her head, before hearing Chip fall back into his own world again.

"Every price shall fall under my mighty hands!" he declared as he put stickers onto the records, deciding to have some fun with the boring task. "For I, am Count Discount!" Chip whirled around to point the labeller at the camera. Maddie laughed as Chip swung it around. "Defender of the Bargain Bin, hero to slacker and collector alike!" he made shooting noises as he lost focus on the actual task.

"That does it," Xander sighed and got to his feet. "Come here mate," he took the machine from Chip and started covering him in labels. Confused about what was happening, Chip just let it happen, and Xander smirked. "One last touch," he ran it over Chip's forehead, leaving one last discount sticker there before flipping up his collar. "Now you're really Count Discount!" he declared.

"So does this mean that Chip is on sale as well?" Titania wondered, distracted from the paper as she watched their antics. Maddie wandered off to film Toby, who was snapping at a customer, and Chip looked down at the discount stickers all over his shirt.

"Technically as an employee of Rock Porium, he is property, and therefore can be sold as such," Xander nodded seriously.

"Hey, I'm not property!" Chip protested as Titania started to giggle again.

"You're right mate, nobody would buy you," Xander told him seriously, and Chip frowned at him when he patted him on the shoulder. "I like to think of it more that he's advertising the sale, rather than being on sale himself," he then said to Titania, who nodded slowly as she tried to understand what he meant. "And since I answered your question…" Xander grabbed the paper back, and Titania let out a wail.

"Hey! That wasn't a serious question!" she protested, lunging for the paper. She collided with Xander's chest, and the two tumbled to the ground. Chip shook his head and took the paper himself to see what the paper had reported on people being turned to stone.

"Throwing yourself at me, huh?" Xander teased as he pushed himself up and found Titania on his lap. When her eyes went wide, he reached up, and tugged her hat down to cover her ear again, not missing the blush that crossed her face.

"You're full of yourself, even for a human," Titania retorted as she got up quickly and went back to her chair to continue reading the book she had abandoned. Xander laughed quietly to himself as he stood and brushed himself off, not taking his eyes off the flustered Fae as he moved and sat down again.

Walking into Rootcore, Carvallain tried not to grunt at the heavy weight in his arms. The crate was large, and while his slight frame was deceptive, even he was starting to grow weary of carrying it.

"Carvallain?" Udonna almost walked into him as she emerged from one of the side rooms. "I didn't expect to see you here. There are no lessons, I hoped you might be spending time with your team," she admitted, almost a little disappointed that he wasn't.

"I was helping out with the Woodland Village," he said, and shifted the box in his arms. "Penelope sent these over. Minor healing potions," Carvallain added, and Udonna looked down at the crate.

"Ah, those will come in most useful for you all," Udonna nodded. "I recall many a battle where everyone came home covered in bruises," she reminisced with a faint smile. Carvallain didn't reply, and she realised her words. After all, not all of them came home. "You can set them there. I'll have Claire put them away," she said, gesturing to the table as she changed the subject. "Claire?" Udonna called when she didn't see her apprentice. "Claire, where are you?" she called again, expecting the young woman to be there.

"I'm down here!" Claire's voice was strangely muffled, as if she was submerged, and bubbles popped as she spoke. Both Udonna and Carvallain frowned, and there was a heavy thud as he set the crate down and shook out his arms. They looked around, before Udonna spotted the fish bowl by the cauldron, with a goldfish swimming around a castle. "I think I made a mistake…again…" Claire admitted.

"Good heavens, child," Udonna laughed, and raised her wand. There was a flash of white, and Claire was returned to normal. She was soaking wet, and her hair stuck to her face. She then spat out water that was in her mouth, and it landed in the cauldron.

"Sorry…" she mumbled, embarrassed at messing up again.

"Mix up the words again?" Carvallain guessed, and she nodded. "Take a breath before you cast the spell. Your magic responds to your emotions, and getting excited or flustered makes your magic do the same," he said, and Claire smiled.

"Thanks, Carvallain. I'll try that," she said, appreciating his advice. He shrugged, and as he made to walk away, there was a loud chime like a bell that echoed through Rootcore.

"There's trouble," Udonna warned as they saw the darkness show in the crystal ball.

Most of the Rangers in Rock Porium were working, as even Xander was dragged into helping out as more customers came in. Titania watched from her spot on the sofa as she studied the groups of people came in. Most were around their age, and the first word that came to Titania's mind as she watched them was 'carefree'.

"You're still here?" the slightly nasally voice caught Titania's attention, and she looked up at LeeLee.

"Same could be said for you," Titania smiled back at her. She didn't really like the blonde - she could tell when someone was looking down at her, and this was definitely someone who did that. LeeLee barely acknowledged her, Maddie or Vida as she flirted incessantly at Nick while enjoying both Xander and Chip's attempts to talk to her.

"For your information, I left and came back," LeeLee defended as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. Titania's senses were assaulted with the overly strong smell of her perfume, and it took all her willpower not to grimace at the smell. "You seem to live here," she accused.

"Just spending some time with my friends," Titania answered, making a show of going back to her book.

"They're working?" LeeLee stressed, as if she didn't think Titania knew this. The Fae arched an eyebrow. "Maybe you should come back when they're done. Makes you look less desperate," she sneered. When Titania didn't respond, the young woman frowned. "What's wrong? Hit a nerve?" she taunted.

"Not at all," Titania answered. "I just find this book to be more interesting that whatever nonsense you're spouting in some sad attempt to make me feel bad," she said, and LeeLee flushed as she spluttered.

"I was just trying to give you some advice," she growled, and Titania sniffed.

"Your so-called advice is unwanted, so forgive me but I will decline your offer," she said, making a deliberate showing of turning the page. With a loud huff, LeeLee turned on her heel and stalked off.

"Whoa, what happened to her?" Titania looked up as Xander leaned over the back of the sofa.

"She claimed to be offering advice. I turned her down," she answered, but as she looked down at her book again, her eyebrows furrowed. "You said that it's okay for me to be here. That's still true?" Titania asked, hesitant. She didn't like the idea of LeeLee getting to her, but she also valued her new friends and didn't want to be in their way.

"Of course it is," Xander frowned. He didn't understand why she was asking, but considering what Chip had told them about Faes and lies, he answered her regardless. "I think Toby would be more distraught if you stopped hanging out. He's loving having someone to teach about the 'classics'," he said, and Titania couldn't help but laugh.

"I would hate to disappoint him," she admitted, and hummed to herself. "That reminds me, I need to repay him for teaching me all about 80s rock," Titania said, more to herself than Xander.

"Try not to go overboard with your Fae stuff," Xander warned, patting her head. Before she could reply, their Morphers chimed. They looked around quickly and moved to stand with Nick and Chip, while Vida jumped down from the stage. "Xander here, what's up?" the Green Ranger answered as they looked around to make sure nobody was listening.

"I'm sensing Dark Magic energy just outside the forest," Udonna warned. "Carvallain is on his way and will meet you there," she told them before they could ask.

"It could be the thing that's turning people into statues," Chip considered as he looked at the others. "We gotta stop it," he said.

"Wait, where's Maddie?" Vida whispered, not seeing her sister anywhere in the shop.

"She got all mad about something and left," Nick shrugged. His words made Vida frown. That didn't sound like her sister at all.

"She should have heard Udonna contacting us. If we get into trouble, we can call her again," Titania said as she saw Vida's expression. "Right now we need to focus on whatever this dark magic is," she said, and the Pink Ranger nodded reluctantly.

"Lunchbreak, Tobs, back in a bit!" Xander called as they hurried out of the shop, and none of them heard their starving boss' distressed cries.

Flying over the forest, all but Titania were on their Mystic Racers as the Black Ranger used her wings to keep up with them.

"So, what happened back at the shop, Nick?" Titania asked curiously as she angled to fly alongside the Red Ranger. "Maddie looked pretty mad even before LeeLee said anything to her," she said, and Nick frowned. Of course she had to have seen the two talking.

"What did you say to her?" Xander asked as they all flew to catch up.

"Yeah, what did you say?" Chip asked once they were all lined up. Nick rolled his eyes, growing defensive at suddenly being bombarded about the Blue Ranger.

"I didn't say anything!" he shouted, rolling his eyes. "Can we just focus on what we're doing here?" Nick demanded, looking straight ahead. Carvallain watched him, hearing the subtle inflections in Nick's voice that made it clear that he wasn't telling the truth. Before he could decide if he wanted to say anything, Nick growled and pushed his Racer faster.

"Weird," Titania tilted her head, wondering just what was on Nick's mind. She couldn't question it, as they reached the area that Udonna had warned them about and returned to the ground. As soon as they did and looked around, all of them stopped in horror, forgetting all about interrogating Nick.

"We're too late," Chip hissed as they stared at the group of magical creatures that were gathered by the river.

"This is awful…" Titania moved to fly down to the petrified creatures. "Half-elves by the looks of them. They must have been ambushed when travelling," she realised, and Carvallain spat out a curse. He wanted nothing more than to find the creature responsible and destroy them then and there. His anger was so strong that he almost missed the quiet movements above them, causing his eyes to widen. Quickly the Silver Ranger whirled around, grabbing his Magi Staff.

"How do you like my rock garden?" Necrolai's taunt made the rest of the Rangers realise that they weren't alone, and they whirled around with gasps. "Soon, everyone will be like this, both in the human and magical worlds!" she told them, smirking and flashing her sharp fangs.

"Never!" Nick vowed angrily, but as he took a step towards her, Carvallain grabbed his arm.

"We've got others to contend with," he warned as Nick went to question why he'd stopped him. Carvallain pointed off to the side, and they quickly turned to see a reptilian monster with sharp pincers and a bird-like head.

"Magi Staff Striker!" Nick changed his Staff into a sword and charged at Clawbster with a yell. However, the monster's scaly body was strong, and Nick's sword glanced off. In a beat, he'd grabbed the Red Ranger and thrown him back towards his friends.

"Come on!" Chip shouted as they pulled Nick back to his feet, but he blasted them with rapid shots of burning red energy that had all of them on the ground.

"That did the trick," Clawbster taunted as he approached, holding his pincers out.

"Now there's no-one to stand in our way," Necrolai taunted, and with a cackle, she summoned a spell seal under their feet.

"No!" Nick yelled as he used his sword to push himself up. Still on the ground, Titania raised a hand, shimmering with rainbow light as the two vanished. "They got away!" Nick shouted, frustrated as he managed to get up.

"No, they didn't," Titania said as she stood too, ignoring the dull ache in her shoulder. "I was able to see where they were going," she said, her eyes closed as the rest got up.

"Quick thinking," Carvallain nodded.

"Where'd they go?" Vida asked impatiently as they called their Mystic Racers back to them.

"Give me a second. I only had a moment to slip my magic in…" Titania took a breath, squeezing her eyes tighter as she tried to pinpoint their location. "Got them!" she opened her eyes and turned to the team. "They're headed to the human world, to Briarwood," she warned.

"Then let's go!" Nick yelled, already on his Racer and back in the sky. The others followed, hoping that they weren't too late.

By the time they reached the area where Necrolai and her monster companion had gone to, they could hear screaming. People who had been enjoying a walk through the park on their lunch tried to flee, with many of them being turned to stone by Clawbster's petrification blast.

"There!" Vida felt horror seep in once more as she saw a familiar face amongst the statues. "No!" she yelled as she leapt off her Racer and sprinted towards Maddie, who was frozen in a fighting stance.

"Maddie?" a young man stood beside her, staring at her statue as he tried to process what was happening.

"Get to safety," he turned quickly as Carvallain spoke. He swallowed, looking at Maddie once more before running off. As he escaped, the other Rangers reached Maddie's statue.

"Hard luck," Necrolai taunted as Vida stared at her sister. "Even your little Faerie magic wasn't enough to get you here fast enough to save your friend," she mocked, and Titania glared at her furiously.

"You witch! You're gonna pay for this!" Vida promised, grabbing her Magi Staff. "Magi Staff, Wind Power!" a massive pair of pink butterfly wings appeared behind her. They began to flap, creating wings strong enough to throw both Necrolai and her monster down the path. "Want more?" Vida goaded, ready to take out her rage on the two.

"Foolish girl," Necrolai growled as she got back to her feet. She was unharmed - just embarrassed. "Don't you see? You can never stop us, especially now that you're down a Ranger," she taunted, and once again the two vanished.

"We've got to get her back to Rootcore!" Vida didn't dwell on them escaping, and instead focused on her sister.

"I can handle that," Carvallain said, and snapped his fingers. A spell seal appeared below them, and in a flash of silver, they vanished from the park.

As soon as they had arrived in Rootcore, Udonna had gotten to work trying different manners of spells to free Maddie from her petrification. Penelope and Taliesin had even come back to Rootcore to offer their help.

"You told me that the Cockatrice wasn't a big chicken," Xander accused Titania as all the Rangers but Vida stayed back out of the way. "That thing looked pretty chicken to me" he said as she tore her gaze from Maddie to look at the Green Ranger.

"I said 'not quite'. It has the head of a rooster, but the body is a Wyvern," Titania answered. "Therefore, I answered your question accurately," she said simply.

"I wouldn't argue semantics with a Fae," Carvallain cut across as Xander tried to argue what she had said. "You'll never win," he warned, arms crossed as he watched Udonna fail another spell.

"This creature's magic is very strong," she admitted, winded from using so much magic to try and free Maddie.

"Titania," Vida whirled around so quickly that it made the Black Ranger jump. "Free my sister, please. I'll do anything," she pleaded, and Titania's eyes grew large at the request. "Whatever deal you want, it's done," Vida promised. Carvallain winced, biting his tongue.

"I…" Titania started, and trailed off as she looked at Maddie. "I can't," she shook her head, turning back to Vida with a guilty look. "I'm not strong enough," she admitted, having reached out to see if she was capable of breaking the spell herself, but the dark magic behind it made her wince.

"I thought Fae could do anything if the price was right," Vida said, and quickly realised that was the wrong thing to say as Titania flinched as if she'd been hit. Penelope put a gentle hand on Vida's shoulder.

"That's not how it works. Fae have their limits too; they're not all encompassing, and Titania is still very young for a Fae," she explained. "Even if we were to encourage a deal - which we're not - Titania lacks a Fae teacher and so is still learning," Penelope told her, and Vida remembered what Titania had told them the day they'd met - that she'd never actually met another Fae before.

"I'm sorry," Titania's words were quiet as she dropped her gaze to the floor. She wanted to help Maddie, regardless of making a deal, she just lacked the power to do so.

"Me too," Vida reached out, able to push aside the anger for just long enough to squeeze Titania's hand in reassurance that she didn't blame her. The guilt in Titania's face didn't lessen, but she squeezed Vida's hand back.

"I've come up with a few potions, but all of them only work on low grade petrification," Penelope shook her head as the last of her potions failed to sink through the stone.

"Cockatrice have powerful petrification magic," Taliesin said as he walked around Maddie. His hooves were loud against the stone ground, echoing as nobody spoke. "And this one in particular is very strong," he said as he ran his finger along Maddie's stone arm.

"There has to be something we can do," Carvallain frowned as Vida looked close to exploding.

"There is always something that can be done, my young student," Taliesin nodded, and Carvallain struggled not to huff in response. The Satyr was the most eccentric of the former Mystics; it was typical that Carvallain was his successor. "In this case, you will need to destroy the monster responsible. Only then will the spell be broken," he determined.

"Oh, I'll destroy him alright," Vida snarled, tearing her gaze off Maddie. "With my bare hands," she turned away. Xander was the first to see the look on her face, and quickly moved to block her path.

"Slow down, V!" he pleaded with her as she glared at him. "Cool it V, please," he held his hands up and quickly pulled back just in case she tried to hit him to get him to move.

"Move it, Xander!" she yelled, her expression warning him that her punch was incoming unless he was able to say something to calm her down.

"If you rush in without a plan, you'll end up just like her," he said, pointing to Vida. She glanced over at her sister, and some of her reckless anger faded as she thought about what Maddie might say.

"Xander's right," Nick's word pulled Vida from those thoughts. "That's how Maddie got into trouble in the first place," all of them stared at Nick as he approached Vida. "She shouldn't have been out there alone," he pointed out. Confusion mixed in with Vida's anger, and she stared at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"She probably got in over her head, V," Nick's shrug made Chip wince.

"Oh boy…he shouldn't say stuff like that about Maddie," the Yellow Ranger muttered, knowing just how fiercely protective over Maddie that Vida could be.

"I doubt that's true," Carvallain said as he approached as well. "Of you all, Maddie seems like the least reckless. I doubt she would try to take on the monster by herself unless absolutely necessary," he said, and the others nodded as they agreed. Vida was surprised that he was the one to say it, but her surprise was quickly smothered by the anger brewing towards Nick.

"Unless this is something to do with what you two were talking about earlier?" Titania cocked her head, addressing Nick. He turned a glare on her.

"All I'm saying is that Maddie should have run. She shouldn't have tried to prove anything," Nick shrugged. Vida scoffed.

"You don't know my sister," she told him as she stalked towards him. "She may be shy on the outside, but inside, she's got the heart of a warrior!" Vida declared, her belief in her sister strong. Nick shrugged, looking dubious.

"Right," his response made it obvious that he didn't believe her. "That's why she's always hiding behind that camera," his dismissive words made that protective streak in Vida flair, but instead of hitting him, she stepped back with a shake of her head.

"You are so clueless," Vida growled. She went to Titania, whispering to her, and the Fae looked at her surprised, before holding out her hand. In a flash of rainbow light, Maddie's video camera appeared, and Titania handed it over to Vida. "Here's why she's always behind her camera," everyone else was silent as they watched the interaction, and Vida cast a spell that projected the camera's footage up in front of everyone.

The footage that came up focused on Vida smiling and dancing behind the DJ booth. It was obvious she was having fun as she played.

"Introducing DJ Vida," Maddie's voice-over started as she introduced her sister. "The best sister ever," her pride for her sister was obvious as the video showed different clips of Vida DJing. She was talented; it was obvious, and from the occasional shot that drifted away from Vida, they saw that her audience enjoyed too.

It then transitioned to Xander, who flashed the camera a smile. "Can't forget Xander! Not only a great friend, but he's sick on his board!" Maddie exclaimed as she showed him on his skateboard, performing tricks that had the others stunned.

'This is the same guy?' Carvallain wondered, glancing over at Xander, who had a small, proud smile on his face as he watched. The stunts he saw on screen were impressive, and didn't seem anything like what the laid-back young man was capable of.

"Chip Thorn, known him since grammar school," Maddie's narration continued as the footage changed to focus on Chip. It showed off his talents at archery, where he performed dramatically for the camera all while hitting his target perfectly. "There's nobody in this world quite like Chip," Maddie laughed, and they all couldn't help but smile as Chip blushed.

When the video suddenly changed, Carvallain straightened and his arms fell to his sides as he saw himself on screen. He was meticulously cleaning the sword that was often by his smile, and there was a soft smile on his face as he did. "Our little group has grown lately, and I'm looking forward to getting to know each one of them," Maddie spoke up with a smile in her voice. "Carvallain seems dark and brooding, but there's a kindness to him, even if he'd rather we didn't see it," the Elf went red at Maddie's comments, watching as the footage showed him ducking away from the camera with an embarrassed smile on his face.

Next up was Titania, who was sitting upside down on a seat reading a book intently. Penelope, who was watching silently with Udonna and Taliesin, shook her head with a faint smile, not even remotely surprised by the Fae's behaviour. "There's a lot to learn about Titania, but I already feel that she's like a little sister - one who's just as chaotic as my other sister," it cut to Titania and Vida laughing at Chip.

Titania was silent as she watched, surprised that she too had been included. There was something so personal about the video, and she couldn't help but feel touched that Maddie had included her, let alone refer to her as a little sister.

Nick was silent as he watched, realisation sinking in the more he watched of Maddie's work. "Then there's Nick, the new guy in town," his eyes widened as Maddie turned the focus to him and his bike. "We don't know too much about him yet, but I can feel it. He's something special," Maddie's voice took on a softer, more pensive tone as she talked about their Red Ranger.

Aware of the eyes on him, Nick refused to look away from the video as the clips alternated between them all, and Maddie's narration continued. "So those are my friends; old and new. I know I can count on them for anything," she finished, and the video ended. The projection vanished, and the camera stopped playing.

For a moment, there was a quiet over Rootcore. Vida of course, knew all about Maddie's work, and Chip and Xander had both known Maddie for long enough to know the extent of her film-making. Titania shuffled on the spot, not wanting to be the one to break the quiet that had fallen, while Carvallain had crossed his arms again as Maddie's words about him repeated in his mind.

"Everyone has a different way of expressing themselves, Nick," Udonna was the one to break the quiet. Nick turned away, a hand to his face as he regretted both his assumptions about Maddie, and the harsh things he'd said to her. "Maybe Madison does it through her films?" Udonna suggested. Nick let out a heavy sigh.

"You're right. I was clueless," he agreed, turning to Vida. She looked satisfied that he now understood the truth behind her sister. He opened his mouth to continue, before stopping himself and walking back down the steps to where Maddie's statue stood. "I shouldn't have gone shooting my mouth off," he muttered, and looked at Maddie. "I'm gonna get you out of this, Maddie. I promise," Nick vowed, determined to right his wrongs.

A loud chime echoed through Rootcore and made everyone jump, before they heard the sound of pages turning at a rapid rate. Instantly they all turned to the Xenotome as it revealed a new spell to them.

"Apparently, you now have a clue," Udonna smiled, and Nick's eyes widened.

"A new Spell Code!" Nick flipped open his Morpher, and saw the keys light up. Titania shuddered suddenly.

"Just in time, apparently," she said, earning their attention. "That monster is back; he's used another Spell Seal to travel from the Underworld," Titania warned, able to feel the monster surfacing using the small spell she'd placed on him.

"He's returned to the human world, no doubt to collect more statues," Penelope was the one to point out the crystal ball on the table nearby. It had lit up, showing Clawbster petrifying more people around town.

"You guys ready to do this for Maddie?" Nick asked, making Vida grin.

"Yeah!" she exclaimed, running down to stand with Nick. "Let's rock!" the Pink Ranger cheered.

"Interesting choice of words," Taliesin mused from the sidelines. Vida winced, realising what she'd said as the other Rangers stood with her.

"Sorry, sis," Vida apologised to Maddie as Penelope shot the Satyr standing with her an exasperated look.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

"MAGICAL SOURCE, MYSTIC FORCE!" they Morphed in a flash of magic, and all but Titania turned to grab their broomsticks. She threw out her hands, and her wings unfurled behind her. She then vanished, using her magic to teleport to the top of the tree while the others travelled up the usual way.

Titania spun through the air, and the moment the other Rangers shot from the tree, she followed them and kept pace as they hurried to stop Clawbster.

"Come on Rangers!" Nick cheered on his team, keeping the new Spell Code in his mind.

As they left, Penelope turned to Udonna with a smile on her face.

"It would appear that our services are not required, so I will return to the village and continue my work there," she said. Taliesin bowed to them, and headed out.

"Oh, Penelope!" Udonna called her fellow red-head back. "Thank you for the healing potions. I'm sure they will come in most useful for the team," she said. Penelope's eyebrows rose.

"It was Carvallain's idea to have a steady stock here," she pointed out, taking the sorceress by surprise. Penelope then sighed, shaking her head. "I should have known he'd omit that part. I should have left a note. Either way, I'm happy to keep a stock flowing here. Heavens know these potions came in handy back in the day," with that, Penelope took her leave, and Udonna gave a quiet sigh.

"Oh, Carvallain. What am I to do with kindness hidden behind such stubborn anonymity?" she wondered aloud, worried for the new Silver Ranger.

The Rangers were so focused on getting back to Briarwood to defeat Clawbster and save Maddie, that they almost missed the danger waiting to ambush them on their way to the fight.

"Where do you think you're going, Rangers?" Koragg's voice boomed from below, reaching them as they flew overhead. It was the only warning they got before Hidiacs fired weapons charged with dark magic, trying to shoot them down.

"Watch out!" Nick yelled, and the group scattered in the air to dodge the attacks.

"Clearly they do not intend for us to reach our destination," Carvallain frowned as he veered sharply to dodge the attacks aimed for him. He reached for his Magi Staff, ready for a fight.

"You go ahead and stop that monster," Nick told his team as they managed to regroup. "I'll hold off Koragg and his goons," he volunteered.

"Be careful," Xander warned as they nodded.

"I'll catch up!" Nick shouted over his shoulder as he tipped his Mystic Racer into a dive, headed straight for Koragg and the Hidiacs while the others pressed forwards.

It didn't take too long for the remaining five Rangers to reach Briarwood, and they followed Titania straight to the monster who was still chasing innocent civilians down to petrify them too.

"Found him!" Titania dropped down and rammed Clawbster as he fired his petrification beam once more. It went wide, hitting a building instead of the people running away from him.

"Little brat!" he snarled as she backed away. Titania's wings vanished as she moved, and as Clawbster turned to attack her instead, Xander landed a kick from behind that shoved him away.

"Back off!" Xander warned as Vida, Chip and Carvallain stood beside them.

"Magi Staff, Crossbow Mode!" Chip used his weapon to assault the monster with bolts of magical lightning. However, before they could hit, Necrolai intercepted and shattered them with a wave of her hand.

"No!" Vida gasped as they were left open to a counter attack. Necrolai threw a burst of dark magic that exploded when it got close, and all five Rangers were thrown to the ground. Necrolai laughed as she stood over them.

"I suppose I'm impressed that you found us so quickly. The perks of having a Fae at your disposal," she glanced at Titania. The Black Ranger didn't speak as she got to her feet, glaring at the vampire. "Though not one that's very powerful - she couldn't break Clawbster's spell on your precious friend? Or did you now want to pay the price?" Titania flinched at the cruel words, and tears stung her eyes.

"Shut your mouth," Vida snarled as she got back to her feet and stood with Titania. "We'll defeat you and your stupid monster, together," she vowed.

"Right!" Chip and Xander echoed together.

"You act like you know so much about Fae, but you haven't the slightest idea," Carvallain spoke up too. Necrolai looked sharply in his direction.

"I know far more about Fae than you could ever dream of, foolish boy," she warned him, and launched into an attack. With a shriek, she leapt up and kicked Carvallain backwards, before turning to Xander as he rushed in. Necrolai ducked under his kick, and then caught Vida's strike, tossing the Pink Ranger aside with a laugh.

"Enough!" Titania grabbed Necrolai's arm, but the vampire cackled and swung her arm hard enough to knock the Black Ranger off balance. She kicked out, knocking Titania to the ground.

"Come on!" Vida shouted as they pushed themselves up, unwilling to give up when Maddie was relying on them.

"Silly Rangers!" Necrolai taunted, crossing her arms over her chest as she began to spin. Shrieking once more, she flung out her strong wings and bombarded the five with rapid strikes that knocked them to the ground once more. "They're all yours," as she stopped spinning, Necrolai addressed Clawbster.

"I'm gonna rock this town!" the cockatrice-like monster declared with a laugh as he stalked towards the fallen Rangers, who were too stunned to be able to get to their feet. Hearing the low rumble of an engine, Carvallain turned his head just as Nick's voice rang out.

"Not on my watch!" he shouted, racing into view on a bright red motorbike designed in the Mystic Force motif. Clawbster's laughter abruptly changed to screams of pain as Nick fired the weapons on his bike, blasting the monster several times. "Enough's enough!" he declared as he stopped in front of his team.

"Nick! Alright!" Vida cheered, happy to see their leader safe after his fight with Koragg.

"Hey, I want a bike like that!" Chip shouted.

"It's amazing," Titania agreed as she stared at the powerful bike born from the magic that Nick had unlocked. Clawbster recovered from the surprise of the attack, and roared in anger.

"You've done enough damage for one day. Magi Staff!" Nick drew his sword and moved into a fighting stance.

"This is too easy," Clawbster scoffed, letting his power charge up. However, Nick cast one of the few spells he remembered, creating a mirror that rose from the ground in front of him. It deflected the dark magic, sending it straight back at Clawbster. The monster roared, and turned to stone.

"He did it!" Vida laughed.

"Amazing!" Chip shouted.

"That was quick thinking," Titania grinned as even Carvallain couldn't deny that he was impressed. The mirror sank back down into the dirt, and Nick stood taller.

"How do you like that?" he taunted as Necrolai gave a scream of anger. "Now to end this. Power of the Phoenix!" Nick yelled as he launched himself forwards, fire starting to surround his body as the strength of his magic allowed him to smash straight through Clawbster's petrified form.

The moment he did, the spell broke, and the petrified people of the city returned to normal, confused but otherwise unharmed.

"Koragg!" Necrolai's shout made the Rangers turn to her quickly. They had defeated Clawbster, but the fight was far from over. "Help this worthless heap," she growled. The cold of dark magic filled the air, sending a shiver down all of their spines as a dark spell seal appeared on the ground where Clawbster had stood.

"No way!" Nick gasped as Clawbster reappeared, and started to grow until he towered over the city.

"To restore a monster and enlarge it in one spell…" Carvallain hissed as they took a step back. "Koragg is a formidable foe," he allowed.

"We've got to do something!" Xander shouted as Clawbster's laughter, deep and booming, rumbled through them.

"Maddie!" Vida's gasp made them all turn as the Blue Ranger slowed to a stop beside them, having passed through a nearby tree to rejoin her team. "You're okay," Vida's relief was obvious as Maddie turned to her and smiled.

"Looks like I got here just in time," she said softly, ready to join their battle even as Clawbster loomed.

"Hey Madison," Nick started, oddly awkward as he addressed her. "I was a jerk. I'm sorry I said you were too shy," he apologised to her. Maddie's eyes flashed with surprise, before a warm smile returned to her face.

"Apology accepted. Let's just forget about it," she told him, ready to move on. A relieved smile crossed Nick's face, hidden by his helmet, before they heard a chime from Maddie's Morpher. She grabbed it, opening it to see a new Spell Code flash across the buttons. Her smile grew. "I guess we both learned something today," Maddie considered, and Nick laughed quietly.

"We sure did," he agreed.

"MAGICAL SOURCE, MYSTIC FORCE!" Maddie Morphed, and they activated their Mystic Titan forms to stand on Clawbster's level.

"You can't handle this!" he shouted, undaunted by their transformation.

"Watch us!" Nick shouted back, but before he could charge in, Maddie spoke up.

"Let's try my new Spell Code," she suggested.

"Go for it, sis!" Vida cheered her on from Xander's shoulder.

"Yeah, let's see what you've got!" Titania giggled, eager to see what they would be able to do next. Following Maddie's lead, they chanted the new spell, and their Titan forms began to glow. The next thing the Rangers knew, they were sitting in strange seats within a Megazord, moving into position.

"Whoa…this place is freaky," Xander considered as they looked around. Illuminated by their spell seal, the cockpit was strange, to say the least.

"You got that right," Vida agreed.

"I get it!" Maddie gasped as she looked down to see the black and white tiled floor. "The cockpit is like a chessboard! We control our fight with strategical moves," she realised.

"Chess?" Carvallain tilted his head. "It would appear our worlds have something in common then," he considered.

"More than that! I belong to the chess club at school!" Chip declared.

"Then this should be fun," Titania determined.

"Okay guys! Let's get serious!" Nick told them, returning to the battle at hand.

"Titan Megazord!" they chorused, waking up the Megazord that combined all of their Titan forms into one powerful being.

"That doesn't scare me," Clawbster scoffed, and threw a jet of fire at the Titan Megazord. It collided with the Megazord, causing a small explosion to kick up. "Got 'em!" Clawbster laughed.

"Not even close!" the Rangers shouted back as the smoke cleared, revealing their wings had wrapped around the massive form to shield them. Clawbster stopped laughing, and let out an angry shout. "Titan Sabre!" they called on their sword as the monster started to run at them in a desperate attack. The sword appeared by their side, and with a powerful swing they sent Clawbster sprawling backwards.

"Altogether!" Nick shouted as they let their magic rise, filling the air with warmth. They held their hand over the front of their seats, and they started to glow.

"Ancient Power, Mystic Spell Seal!" the team called out, swinging their Sabre in a full circle to create the glowing spell seal in front of the Megazord. It lit up with the power of all of their elements, and swung down hard.

Clawbster roared as it ripped through his thick armour, and he staggered in a desperate attempt to stay standing. "Checkmate!" at their shout, the monster fell backwards and exploded.

Music filled the air in Rock Porium, almost seeming to bring the place to life. Vida was standing on the raised platform behind the decks, dancing to the music she was working on. As she did, she noticed Maddie filming her once again. Her grin widened, and her dancing became more pronounced.

"Make sure you get my good side, sis!" she requested, making Maddie laugh.

"Vida's not too bad at this," Carvallain confessed, still feeling out of place as he sat stiffly on one of the sofas. He held a book in his hand, one that Chip had insisted that he would enjoy, but hadn't opened it yet. While he wore more casual clothes than his first visit to Rock Porium, he stood out even in the grey jumper and black jeans he wore.

"You can hear her music?" Xander asked, his eyes going to the headphones that Carvallain was wearing. "They look noise-cancelling," he commented. Carvallain gave a shrug that almost made him seem embarrassed.

"They are, to an extent. While they're primarily to hide my ears…" he reached up to touch the black headphones that never left his head, hiding his delicately pointed ears. "They also help to muffle the rather…extensive sounds that come from your world. I can hear everything, clear as day," Carvallain told him, and while Xander nodded, it was obvious from the look on his face that he was still getting used to it all.

Carvallain didn't entirely blame him for it. Not only were they still adjusting to the knowledge of another dimension parallel to their own, but he didn't spend much time with them outside of training. They were well used to Titania now, who was perched on the arm of Xander's chair as she asked him about skateboarding, but Elves were still something that only Chip seemed to really know about.

"Hi," the bright greeting was followed by Maddie's sharp inhalation and abrupt end to her laughter, and Carvallain was pulled out of his thoughts as he turned and looked over at her. A young man was standing between her and Vida, smiling shyly at Maddie.

"That's the guy from the park," Titania realised, having looked up as well. A blush had started to turn Maddie's cheeks pink as she lowered her camera.

"Hey…hi," she greeted, stumbling over her greeting.

"I've been looking all over town for you, Maddie. I wanted to thank you for what you did the other day," Ben admitted.

"Oh, that was nothing," Maddie's blush grew as her modesty made her unable to accept his gratitude. Ben laughed.

"Are you kidding? It was incredibly brave. In fact…" Ben continued, both of them unaware that they were being watched as they walked through the shop. "Before all that happened, I was gonna ask you out, but I guess I was too shy," Maddie's eyes widened and her blush grew at his confession.

"You were?" despite the squirming of nerves in her stomach, Maddie began to smile. "Really?" she couldn't quite believe it, even when Ben nodded. For a moment, they just looked at each other, until a customer walked by and reminded them that they weren't alone. Instantly both blushed harder.

"This looks like a cool place to work," Ben said, clearing his throat as Xander, Chip, Titania and Carvallain all quickly turned away, trying not to look like they were watching. Maddie nodded, not missing their actions. "You want to show me around?" Ben's question distracted her, and her smile returned.

"Sure!" she nodded eagerly, and the two walked off to look around and chat quietly.

"Looks like Madison's really trying to come out of her shell," Nick commented, having noticed as he worked at the front of the shop. Vida, who had been listening to the pair too, grinned.

"Yeah, but if that guy messes with my sister…" Vida started as she pulled her headphones down. "He's gonna have to deal with me," she promised. Nick laughed as he sat down on the edge of her stage, lifting a magazine.

"Don't worry, she can take care of herself," Nick said confidently. Vida looked impressed, while the others couldn't help but laugh.

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