Chapter 8: Stranger Within: Part 1

It was curious to Titania, how when night fell, Briarwood didn't seem to stop. People continued to wander the city, either working or partying, and the Fae couldn't help but watch the group of young women who seemed barely older than her walking together as they laughed and chatted excitedly about the new DJ performing in a local club.

While she had been coming to the human world for some time now, the people always fascinated Titania, especially their fashion. She eyed their shoes curiously, wondering how they were able to walk so confidently in the narrow heels, and found herself a little envious.

Finally she remembered the reason why she was in the human realm, and crossed the road to approach Rock Porium. The lights inside had been dimmed, but still illuminated the small shop in the dark of night that had fallen over the city, and she pushed the door open.

"We're-" Nick started as he turned, and stopped as he realised it was Titania walking in. "Oh, hey. We're almost done here," he told her as she smiled at him.

"Sounds good. Carvallain wanted to make sure you hadn't forgotten," she told them as she watched them cleaning up to close for the night. Nick gave a light-hearted roll of his eyes.

"How could we after his incessant 'this is extremely important, we must find out what secrets this parchment holds before dark forces claim the Fireheart for themselves'?" he mimicked, making them all grin at the perfect impression of their Silver Ranger.

"It doesn't help that Xander was banned from Rootcore for a week," Vida shot a stern look at Xander, who was behind the till counting the money to be put away for Toby. He went red.

"That was Titania's fault!" he pointed to her as she hopped up onto the counter to watch them. She looked at him innocently.

"You were the one who wanted to make a deal," she reminded him. Xander's blush grew, and he huffed, going back to counting the money as Titania shot a grin at the others. They laughed, but were just as glad as Xander was that his week of sneezing glitter was over. It had gotten everywhere, and Toby had been baffled about just where it was coming from.

"Let's hope he's learned his lesson about making deals with Faeries," Vida laughed.

"Xander? Not likely," Nick grinned, earning a glare from their friend.

"Not that I mind. Penelope says that making deals should help my magic grow stronger, and it's about time I embraced my Fae heritage," Titania looked mischievous as she looked over her shoulder at Xander. "So make as many deals as you'd like. I'm happy to assist," she said, trying to look and sound serious. Xander just stuck his tongue out at her in response before going to Toby's office to leave the money in the safe.

"If you're going to, at least make the payment less messy," Nick grinned as he walked past to flip the sign on the door from 'Open' to 'Closed'. Before he could shut it fully, a familiar figure almost collided with it, stopping him from doing so.

"Hey!" LeeLee protested, and Nick sighed, reluctantly opening the door.

"Sorry LeeLee, we're closing-"

"Perfect!" the pretty blonde beamed at him as she strutted into the shop. "That means you have no excuse for not taking me to see this great new DJ tonight!" LeeLee held up a flyer for a DJ - the same one Titania remembered hearing the girls passing by talking about.

"No can do," Nick declined, shutting the door and walking past her to continue the last of the cleanup. "Already have plans," he said shortly, trying to make it as obvious as he could that he wasn't interested in the young woman who had been trying to get him to go out with her from the moment they met.

"Please?" LeeLee pouted, sounding genuinely sad that he wouldn't go with her.

"Don't waste your time throwing yourself at him, Lee," Xander told her as he walked out of the office and carried the comics back to the shelf. He winked at her. "Throw yourself at me," he suggested. LeeLee struggled to hide her distaste.

"Okay…you can come with me," she relented with a grumble, but didn't look very happy about it.

"I wouldn't consider this a proper example of human 'courting'," Vida leaned on the counter to whisper to Titania, who was watching with a baffled expression. "Actually…never take anything Xander does as an example of that," she whispered, and Titania hid her laughter behind her hand.

"And he can't go either!" Nick shouted over as he heard them talking. Xander's eager smile vanished. "He's the one I have plans with," he shot Xander an annoyed look, and the Green Ranger rolled his eyes and stalked off in disappointment. Curious, Vida weaved around the counter and took the flyer from LeeLee's hand.

"DJ Fly? Never heard of him," Vida admitted as she studied the flyer. "Any good?" she asked, always interested in hearing about other musicians, especially DJs. LeeLee gave a small laugh as she grinned.

"He's just like, the hottest new DJ around. Surprised you haven't heard of him," LeeLee told her, and Vida's eyebrows lifted.

"I better check this guy out," she commented, making LeeLee beam.

"Great! You can go with me!" the blonde decided. Vida nodded, still looking at the flyer and Titania cleared her throat.

"We have a prior engagement tonight, remember? Carvallain really needs our help with this," she reminded Vida, who finally tore her attention away from the paper to look up at her. She pouted.

"But there's new talent in town!" she protested. "Our plans can wait until tomorrow!" she pleaded with Titania, who looked unhappy.

"No, they can't," Nick spoke up, walking over to guide LeeLee to the door with a firm hand on her back. He gave Vida a disapproving look over his shoulder. "You gave your word that you'd help, V. Thanks for the invite, LeeLee. Some other time," Nick pushed LeeLee out of the shop. "We're closed," he repeated, shutting the door in her face. She glared through the window at him, before storming off.

"At least one of you has your priorities correct," Titania rolled her eyes as Nick locked the door.

"We have half the Fireheart scroll to figure out," Nick reminded them when Xander and Vida huffed, still looking put out. "Chip, Madison and Carvallain are waiting at Rootcore, remember?" he asked as he grabbed his jacket from the coat hanger.

"Since when did you become Nick, the Good Witch of Briarwood?" Xander complained as he dropped the magazine on the counter. "You sound like Carvallain," he added, and Nick rolled his eyes as Titania couldn't stop her laugh.

"Better than someone with their desperate attempts to get a date," she said. Xander shoved her lightly, which only made her laugh more.

"Are you coming, V?" Nick called to the Pink Ranger, who was looking at the flyer in her hands again.

"Be there in a few," she called after them as they made their way to the back door to leave. "I got some paperwork to catch up on," Vida said. Nick nodded, and followed the other two out.

Rootcore was busier than usual as the Rangers stayed there even after the sun rose, having told their families that they were staying with one another for the long weekend. At least, most of them did, as Vida didn't show up even after the sun rose and started to set again.

"Hey folks," they looked up at the familiar call, and grinned as they saw Caspian, the leader of the Woodland Village and Penelope's husband, walk into Rootcore with a bag. "Penelope told me that you were all working hard trying to find the Fireheart, so she sent me over with some food," he announced, setting the bag down on the table.

"Thanks Caspian," Carvallain said to the man, who nodded.

"Not a problem. Anything to help the defenders of our realm," Caspian said cheerfully. Most of them gave embarrassed smiles, while Xander grinned, still enjoying the awe and respect that most people of the Magical Realm gave them simply for being the new Mystics. "How's it going?" he asked, seeing their tired faces.

"No luck so far," Maddie sighed. She pushed another book aside and leaned back in her seat, tired. "And Vida still hasn't shown up," she added, annoyed that her sister had ditched them.

"Take a breather, have some dinner, and then get back to it. You'll be fine," Caspian told them with the smile of someone well used to giving such advice. "Trust me. I'm old enough to remember how it was for Penny and her lot. Breaks are just as important as the work itself," he told them, earning a few tentative smiles. "And I think I've used mine up. Better get back to the village. Let me know how the stew is," he told them, already on his way out.

The team of Rangers took a short break, devouring the stew that Caspian had dropped off before returning to their search with fresher minds. The sun had fully set by now, leaving the twin full moons to illuminate the skies.

"I can't believe that Vida hasn't shown up," Nick huffed as he tossed aside another book and rubbed his eyes. They had barely slept for the last two nights, choosing instead to take it in turns to sleep for a handful of hours to keep researching as much as they could. Since Necrolai had half of the parchment, it was a race against time to see who deciphered it first.

"Sleeping like the dead, my dad said," Maddie shook her head, having called her dad during the day when Vida hadn't returned any of their calls.

"Must have been one hell of a performance from this…DJ Fly," Carvallain said dryly, stifling a yawn.

"I give up," Xander groaned, earning their attention. "Maybe we're not meant to find out the secret of the Fireheart," he grumbled.

"I'd think of all of us, you would be most determined to find it after the fiasco in the Cimmerian Forest," Titania grinned, and he glowered at her.

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" he asked. Titania shook her head, a sweet smile still on her face.

"Come on," Nick shook his head and strode over, shoving another book into Xander's arms. "Don't give up. Never give up," he said as he passed another to Titania, who flipped it open and dutifully continued her search.

"Wow Nick, that's inspiring," Maddie smiled, impressed by his determination. Nick gave a weary sigh.

"Yeah…that's what I thought when Udonna yelled it at me this morning when I was ready to quit," he admitted sheepishly. Even Carvallain smiled in amusement at his confession. Nick's eyebrows then furrowed. "By the way…where is Udonna?" he asked, looking around for any sign of their teacher.

"The last time I saw Udonna…she was teaching Claire an invisibility spell," Maddie remembered Udonna leading the apprentice out to leave them to work in peace.

"Which could be the problem right there," Chip grinned, and they laughed. It faded quickly when they heard the entrance to Rootcore open, and the inner doors slid open.

"Yo, crew," Vida practically swaggered into Rootcore. "Sorry I'm late," her words were almost bland.

"Late?" Nick repeated as Vida took a seat and stretched. "We haven't seen you since yesterday, that's beyond late. So much for giving us your word," he frowned, and Vida's eyebrows rose as she saw the unimpressed looks on all their faces. She then rolled her eyes.

"Relax. You're not my dad. So I missed a night of saving the world," Vida shrugged, looking bored by their conversation. "Good news is, the world's still here," she leaned forwards to balance her elbow on the table, and rested her cheek in her hand.

"Uh…V?" Xander cocked his head. "It's not just that you missed last night…you missed all day too. It's night time again," he pointed out.

"We've been working since last night to try and find something out about Fireheart," Carvallain's words were icy, and Vida lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. His frown grew as something seemed off. He couldn't quite place it, but something felt wrong.

"I was worried about you," Maddie spoke up, and Vida tore her gaze from Carvallain to look at her sister. She then sighed.

"Look, I'm sorry. I gave my word, and I blew it. It won't happen again," Vida told them, sounding more earnest than she had a moment ago.

"Hey, no problem V," Chip was the one to answer when the rest still looked unhappy. "We all make mistakes," he said, and she smiled at him.

"So it was a mistake that she went to that performance instead of helping us?" Carvallain wondered aloud. Vida's smile fell, and she turned a much harder look on him.

"Car, don't," Titania put a hand on his arm. Carvallain turned to her to argue, knowing that the others felt the same, but he stopped as he saw the look on Titania's face. She could tell that something was off as well.

Before they could press it, Nick suddenly gave a grunt of pain. His face scrunched up and he put a hand to his temple as he slumped forwards. "Are you alright?" Titania asked as she saw he pain on his face, and they all shivered at the dark magic in the air.

"It's Koragg again, isn't it?" Carvallain realised. The pain faded, and Nick was able to take a breath before he nodded.

"Let's go," he said, voice low.

Dawn was still a few minutes off as the Rangers raced through the dark forest, using the light of the two full moons to traverse the terrain as they followed Nick to where Koragg had told them to meet. They had barely even slowed to a stop when Hidiacs burst from the shadows, roaring at them.

"Let's Ranger up," Nick told them, but as most went for their Morphers, Vida swaggered forwards with a cocky smirk.

"Why bother?" she asked, surprising them as she charged forwards and started to take out the Hidiacs by herself. The monsters stood no chance against the Wind Mystic, who seemed to have both speed and strength on her side.

"Man, look at V go!" Nick couldn't help but laugh at the sight in front of them.

"This catching up on your sleep thing seems to be paying off for her," Xander mused as they watched Vida lift two Hidiacs into the air and toss them effortlessly away.

"Go sis…" Maddie couldn't help but laugh in amazement. "I've never seen her like this before," she admitted.

"Neither have I," Chip spoke up, but his amazed smile faded. "It's just weird," he said as concern for their friend started to rise in him.

"It certainly is," Carvallain agreed. His arms were folded as he watched Vida's every movement with a sharp gaze. She was faster and stronger than before, and it didn't seem to be purely because she'd gotten more sleep than usual.

"I would suggest joining the fight but…I think we would just get in the way," Titania said as Vida used her magic effortlessly in battle, creating a tornado around herself to sweep away the last of the Hidiacs.

"Whoa, sis!" Maddie cheered as Vida landed and let the winds vanish. They hurried over to her, and she gave an almost wild grin in response.

"That was incredible."

"Way to go, V," Nick praised her efforts as Vida laughed, but both Carvallain and Chip couldn't hide their concern over her strange behaviour.

"Very impressive," before they could say anything, Koragg's voice cut through their celebrations, and they turned to see the Knight striding through the dark of the pre-dawn. "Now how about a real challenge?" he shouted. As they moved into fighting stances, Koragg rose off the ground and dark magic swirled around him as he used a spell seal to grow much larger.

"MAGICAL SOURCE, MYSTIC FORCE!" the Rangers didn't waste time as they Morphed and transformed into their Titan forms.

"Welcome to your last fight," Koragg called as he drew his sword.

"That's what you think!" Nick shouted back. With loud shouts, the Rangers dodged Koragg's blast of magic and fought him hard, with both sides landing solid blows.

"A little game of catch, Koragg?" as the Knight looked up from where he'd tossed Titania's Kitsune form into Nick, Chip hurled Vida's ball form right at him. The power behind it made Koragg shout as he staggered backwards.

"I'm not done yet," he warned, and as they prepared for another round, he summoned Catastros from a spell seal. They combined into the Centaurus Wolf Megazord, and Koragg prepared his dual bladed sword to fight. "Now, you will feel my real power," Koragg declared.

"Talk is cheap," Nick spat. "You don't scare us!" he told the wizard as they refused to back down against him.

"We will take you down, Koragg!"

"Let's show him!"

"Let's do this!"

"Let's go!"

"Right!" the Rangers all cheered. Koragg stared them down as they channelled their magic.

"Mystic Titans, Dragon Formation!" the Rangers shouted, calling on the magic that would allow them to combine. However, they all stumbled at the sudden disruption that came from Vida as she gave a pained scream.

"The sun's so bright!" she wailed, lifting her arm to shield herself from the sunlight that had just broken over the horizon. "I feel…" Vida fell backwards with a moan as she toppled off Xander's shoulder.

"V!" the Minotaur Titan shouted, trying to catch her, but the much smaller Sprite Titan crashed to the ground amongst the trees. "What's the matter?" he called as they all turned to her. Koragg gave a quiet, curious grunt as Vida cried in pain, before her Titan form vanished and she landed in the dirt.

"Sis!" Maddie shouted down, terrified for her sister's sudden loss of strength.

"V!"Chip called when Vida didn't move.

"What happened to her?" Titania wondered as she crouched down to try and get a better look at their fallen teammate.

"Look out! The battle is not over yet!" Carvallain's warning reminded them that they weren't alone, and Koragg gave an angry growl.

"You lose one and you all quit?" he demanded as he stalked forwards. Turning quickly, Xander used his much larger Titan form to defend the others, taking the full brunt of Koragg's magical attack. "Look at your pitiful selves," Koragg sneered as Xander fell to his knees in pain, barely managing to hold his Titan form. "You are defenceless. I waste my time," he scoffed, turning on his heel and vanishing before they could stop him.

"Xander, are you alright?" Titania moved to his side as he groaned, giving a wordless nod.

"Koragg-"

"Guys! We have to help her!" Chip shouted before Carvallain could move, and they turned back as the Yellow Ranger didn't look up from Vida's fallen form. By the time the Rangers had demorphed and returned to normal size, Vida had passed out, not responding as they raced towards her and called her name.

"Taking that hit was reckless. You're lucky you didn't suffer anything worse," Penelope was still scolding Xander as she shoved a healing potion into his hand. His ears were burning in embarrassment over the scolding she was giving him. "Drink that, and you'll be as good as new in a few hours," she instructed.

"Thanks," he managed a sheepish smile. The former Water Mystic huffed and rolled her eyes, muttering about the recklessness of Earth Mystics as she stalked off.

"Don't worry about Penny," Xander glanced at Titania as she walked over with a sympathetic smile. "She's always telling us off for getting injured, but that's just because she worries. You'll get used to it," she said as Xander opened the small bottle of red liquid and sniffed. Instantly he recoiled. "The taste is better than the smell," Titania assured, and Xander looked dubious.

"I'm glad you can't lie," he told her, and downed the bottle in one go. Much to his relief, it was a sweet flavour, much nicer than how it smelled. Titania's eyes gleamed.

"You're lucky in this case. I said it was better. I didn't specify just how much better," her words made Xander groan as he set the small bottle on the table of Rootcore.

"Why do you have to be this way?" he complained, making her laugh as he gently pushed her away.

"Because it's more fun?" Titania offered. Xander hummed, before looking over to where Carvallain was going over several books.

"Is he back to the search for Fireheart already?" he asked, surprised that the Elf was refusing to take a break even now. Titania's smile faded, and she shook her head.

"No…he's looking into what might have affected Vida," she said softly, and Xander's frown grew. After Vida had passed out in the forest, Maddie had taken her home to rest, and was staying with her while Nick and Chip talked to LeeLee to see if anything had happened at the club when they had gone to see DJ Fly.

"If she doesn't get any better, give me a call," Penelope called over to them, already clipping her cloak on over her blue tunic. "I have to get back. Try to stay out of trouble," she warned, and Titania waved with a sweet smile.

"Thanks for the help," Xander flashed her a charming smile of his own. Penelope rolled her eyes.

"I trust that look as much as I trust the smile of a Fae," she told him, disappearing out the door as Xander looked down at Titania. She cocked her head with an innocent look before turning and walking over to Carvallain.

"Any ideas on what could be affecting Vida?" Titania asked him as Xander followed, rubbing his chest where the pain of Koragg's attack was slowly fading. Carvallain let out a quiet sigh and leaned back in his seat with a shake of his head.

"Too many to count. Without an idea of how it began, it could be anything from possession to a magical parasite," he ran a hand down his face, weary after working so hard to research the Fireheart scroll. Xander went pale at Carvallain's words, and the Elf noticed. "Whatever it is, we will figure it out. It could be nothing severe, we won't know until Vida wakes up," he tried to sound more reassuring.

"And we have Penelope if we need," Titania offered a gentle smile. Xander nodded, but as he opened his mouth to speak, a strange yipping sound echoed. For a moment, it felt like he'd been the one to make the sound - even Xander looked confused. Then Carvallain bolted out of his seat.

"Obsidian?" he gasped, staring past the two. They turned quickly, and Titania inhaled sharply as Xander stared, trying to understand what he was looking at.

It was a small, fluffy bipedal creature with large pointed ears, white fur and big black eyes, almost resembling what Xander knew as a fennec fox, but he knew it was far more than that with just one look. Its pure white fur had an almost ethereal glow to it, its tail split into three points, and a small ruby-red horn jutted from its forehead.

"What is-" as Xander spoke, the little creature yipped before turning and bounding out.

"Obsidian, wait!" Carvallain launched himself after it with the least amount of grace that Xander had ever seen from him.

"What is that thing?" he and Titania followed the Elf out of Rootcore, chasing down the surprisingly nimble creature.

"That's Obsidian, he's Carvallain's companion," Titania answered, her eyebrows furrowed in a confused look. "But he should be back at Miramalos with-" Carvallain had abruptly stopped, causing the two to crash straight into him, and they fell in a heap on the ground. "Car, what are you doing?" Titania groaned, squashed between the two. Carvallain didn't answer, but a gentle laugh made the Fae look up.

"As clumsy as the last time we met, Titania," her eyes widened at the young woman who was standing in front of them. Obsidian was nestled in her arms, purring happily as he tucked his head under her chin, careful not to stab her with his horn.

The young woman was beautiful, to say the least. With vibrant turquoise eyes that seemed to sparkle even in the dim light of the forest, and long golden hair, she almost seemed out of place, if it weren't for her ears that were as delicately pointed as Carvallain's.

"Who-" Xander started, before giving a cry as Carvallain lurched under him and Titania, knocking them off as he leapt to his feet. For a long moment, nobody spoke as Carvallain got up and brushed the dirt from his clothes and straightened up, staring at her.

"What are you doing here?" he broke the silence at last, ignoring the Earth and Time Mystics who were getting to their feet behind him. His focus was entirely on the young woman, whose smile widened at his question.

"Obsidian wanted to visit, and I couldn't say no," she looked down at the purring creature in her arms, who yipped. Obsidian then leapt down, and bounded over to Carvallain. Without hesitation, he jumped up, and the Elf caught him easily.

"You demanding little brat," Carvallain gave a smile warmer than Xander had ever seen before burying his face in his fur.

"Okay, I'm completely lost," the Earth Mystic decided, barely able to take his eyes off the young woman in travelling clothes. Finally remembering that he wasn't alone, Carvallain lifted his head and cleared his throat.

"Yes, of course, right," he seemed more flustered than usual, still holding the creature in his arms. "This is Tári, my…" a blush coloured Carvallain's cheeks as he cleared his throat. "My betrothed," he said, and Xander's eyes went wide as his jaw dropped. Titania couldn't hide her laugh at his reaction. "Tári, this is Xander, the new Earth Mystic. And you of course know Titania already," he gestured.

"Of course," Tári rushed forwards and hugged Titania tightly. "It's a pleasure to see you again," she smiled warmly at the Fae, who smiled back.

"You too. It's been too long," she told her friend, who nodded in agreement.

"And a human Mystic. I heard the rumours," Tári's golden eyes were glimmering with fascination as she took in the much taller young man who had barely been able to stop himself staring at her. "Where are the others?" she asked, looking around curiously.

"They're back in the human realm," Carvallain told her, still looking a little stunned to see her. "We're having a little bit of trouble with our Wind Mystic, so they're looking after her," he explained, before Obsidian gave a yip. "Oh, my apologies," the Elf chuckled. "This is Obsidian, a dear companion of mine. He's a Moonstone Carbuncle," he said.

"They're rare creatures infused with magic, and can create gemstones filled with power," Titania explained at the blank look on Xander's face. He nodded, but still looked a little clueless. She then cleared her throat. "We'll leave you two to chat," Titania said, already backing away from them.

"Thanks," Carvallain nodded. "Would you take Obsidian with you?" he asked, and the Carbuncle leapt from his arms and bounded over to Titania.

"Sure. Have fun," she grinned, a knowing look on her face that made Carvallain blush as Tári giggled.

"So Carvallain has…" Xander started speaking only when he was sure that their sharp Elf hearing wouldn't pick up on his words. "A girlfriend?" he asked Titania, who giggled as she bounced around with Obsidian. With night starting to descend on the Magical Realm again, the creature's glow seemed to illuminate the Fae.

"'Girlfriend' is more of a human term. Though to put it in your terms, consider it more that they're…engaged," Titania started as she dodged Obsidian's playful lunge. "As the future King of Miramalos, Carvallain has been betrothed to be married since Tári was born - she's the daughter of a high ranking Eladrin noble, who was good friends with Carvallain's parents," she explained.

"Eladrin…" Xander repeated, trying to remember why the term was familiar. "That's the kind of Elf that Hermes is, right?" he remembered, thinking of the former Lightning Mystic who had taught them a handful of basic spells.

"Yep," Titania nodded cheerfully. "Only, Hermes is a Spring Eladrin. Tári is Summer," she explained, and ducked as Obsidian leapt over her head with an excited yip.

"Betrothed, eh?" Xander was leaning against a tree, watching the two playing. "Didn't look like it was all political," his observation made Titania nod.

"Not at all. They were childhood friends, sure, but somewhere along the way that line of deep, platonic friendship was crossed, and they fell in love," she said, giving an almost dreamy sigh. "Not that Carvallain would ever admit it out loud, but when it comes to Tári, he wears his heart on his sleeve," Titania grinned. Xander had to agree, having seen the look on Carvallain's face.

"Sounds almost like two people I know," he murmured, his mind going elsewhere. Titania straightened as curiosity took hold.

"It does?" she asked, and Xander cleared his throat quickly.

"Nope, no idea what I'm talking about," he flashed a charming smile at her in hopes that she wouldn't press it. Instead, Titania's eyebrows furrowed.

"Obsidian, go get!" she pointed at Xander. His eyes widened, and a moment later he was being tackled by the surprisingly sturdy creature with soft fur. "Don't lie to a Fae, Xander. I don't appreciate it," Titania warned him lightly as Obsidian licked his face, ignoring his yells to stop. It was only when Titania whistled, that the Carbuncle leapt off and ran back to her.

"I deserved that," he allowed, and Titania grinned back at him.

"Yes, you did," she agreed.

Eventually they got a call to let them know that Vida had woken up, and Xander had left to check in with the rest of his team, before they returned to work. He'd promised to keep an eye on Vida - just like the rest were doing - as even though she claimed she was feeling much better, she still had a painful aversion to the sun, and her skin had turned a sickly pale colour.

Titania had continued to play with Obsidian in the forest, having always held a fascination for the fluffy creature who enjoyed bouncing around the forest as much as she did.

Night had well and truly set in by the time Carvallain and Tári had found her, grateful that she was wearing out the energetic Carbuncle while also letting them have some space. Carvallain's blush hadn't fully vanished when they had found her, but Titania refrained from commenting on it, to his relief.

"It's good to see you again, my dear," Udonna smiled warmly at Tári when the three returned to Rootcore. Titania had resumed jumping between the search for the secret of the Fireheart, and reading through the book on Faefolk that Hermes had gifted her. Obsidian was snoozing on her lap, waking occasionally for the treats that she would slip him.

"And you as well, Udonna," Tári's smile was equally warm. She then looked around Rootcore. "Something about this place feels…different. Full of life, even if it's quiet at this moment," she mused aloud.

"Having a brand new team of Mystics does that," Udonna told her, returning to the potion she had been brewing. "It was the same twenty years ago," she said as she thought back to the days of the former Mystics training. They never had a quiet day. "Will you be staying long?" she asked, and Tári's eyes flickered to Carvallain. He had gone to check with Titania about Vida, but his cheeks warmed as he heard Udonna's question and felt his fiancée's gaze on him.

"A few days, if that is alright with you?" Tári returned her bright blue eyes to Udonna, who gave a knowing smile.

"Of course it is. You're always welcome at Rootcore, and it fills me with joy to see this place full of life again," she told the Eladrin, who gave a thankful smile.

"V?" Maddie's call drew their attention, and Obsidian woke with a purr as they all looked over to the doors.

"Chip?"

"Guys?" Maddie, Nick and Xander hurried into Rootcore, looking around before stopping as they saw everyone watching them.

"You're out here awfully late," Udonna commented, a little surprised to see them back. After two nights of research, she had assumed they would return home to get some rest - especially with Vida not seeming herself. "What is going on?" she asked as Nick and Maddie stared at Tári in surprise. They quickly turned to their mentor, too worried to address the young woman that Xander had briefly told them about.

"Chip and V didn't show up for work. We think there might be a problem," Nick explained. Obsidian made a disgruntled sound as Titania got to her feet.

"They seemed alright the last time you saw them?" Udonna asked, concerned for their friends too.

"I thought Vida was feeling better," Carvallain frowned.

"Well, not exactly," Xander shrugged, struggling to hide his grin. "She said she was feeling better, but she's been acting very strange. Chip thought that she might be…" he was struggling to stop himself from laughing. Despite their worry, Nick and Maddie couldn't help but laugh either. "These are Chip's words, not ours. A Vampire," Xander told them. To their surprise, none of them laughed.

"Well, there are many things in the woods that seem…unbelievable, but I assure you…they do exist," Udonna pointed out, trying to be gentle as their smiles vanished.

"We've already encountered a Vampire on many an occasion. Necrolai," Titania reminded them. Maddie looked like she was going to be sick as they realised that Chip might be correct.

"But she looks so…gross," Nick's face twisted as he thought about Necrolai.

"Her appearance is not what matters," Carvallain shook his head. "Though I will admit…it is unusual for her to have such a form. Normally Vampires have a much more…human-like appearance. To help them blend in. But that's besides the point," he waved a dismissive hand. "The aversion to light is a possible symptom of a Vampire Spawn, but we'd need to check for others too, to be sure," he considered.

"Well, this morning I took some video of Vida…" Maddie remembered as she took her Morpher and cast a spell to link the nearby screen with her camera.

"Hey V, say a few words to your fans," Maddie's voice came from the speaker as she spoke from behind the camera, but none of them really heard the words as they found the video focused on nothing.

"Alright…I'll show you a new pose that came to me in a dream," Vida's voice was as clear as Maddie's, but she too wasn't visible on screen. They frowned.

"After such a long nap, you must be very thirsty, V," Chip offered a glass goblet filled with what Titania hoped was tomato juice, his voice oddly enticing.

"Okay, that's weird," Maddie frowned, her panic growing. "She was dead centre-frame when I took this, and now-" she was cut off by Vida's noise of disgust as tomato juice splattered all over the floor. "She's not there…" Maddie breathed.

"Her image will not show appear on video, as it will not reflect in a mirror," Udonna warned gravely.

"Aversion to the sun, pale skin, sudden increase in strength and speed…and now she doesn't show up on video," Carvallain listed everything that was strange with Vida.

"Chip was right," the words Udonna spoke cast a level of dread over everyone there. "She is a Vampire," she declared. "Find them, Rangers. They need your help," Udonna urged the team.

"Let's go," Nick growled, but Maddie didn't move from where she stood. She was still staring at the screen, which was paused as it focused on what should have been Vida.

"If she has an aversion to the sun, then she is simply a Spawn," Tári was the one to speak as she put a hand on Maddie's shoulder. "There is yet hope for her," she gave a reassuring smile that settled the rising panic in the Water Mystic, who nodded. She turned and followed the others out, ready to save her sister.

It didn't take long for the Rangers to find the presence of dark magic within Briarwood, where DJ Fly had transformed back into his monstrous form as he commanded a small legion of Vampire Spawn who were brainwashed by his music.

"V!" Maddie shouted as she spotted both Chip and Vida facing off against Flytrap, already Morphed. "You okay?" she asked. The Pink Ranger nodded to her sister.

"Never better!" she grinned, striking the pose that she had shown them earlier that day.

"Good! Let's swat this fly!" Nick nodded as they turned back to Flytrap.

"Watch out for the Spawn. They're under his control for now, but if we defeat him, it should reverse both the transformation, and the hypnotic state," Carvallain said as he studied Flytrap carefully. He could sense the touch of Vampiric power around the monster, who wasn't a Vampire, but wielded enough of its power to create Spawns.

"Strong as a tree! Green Mystic Ranger!"

"Ever-changing as the wind! Pink Mystic Ranger!"

"Fluid as the sea! Blue Mystic Ranger!"

"Fast as lightning! Yellow Mystic Ranger!"

"Fleeting as time! Black Mystic Ranger!"

"Ethereal as the moon! Silver Mystic Ranger!"

"Forceful as fire! Red Mystic Ranger!"

"Courage is our magic…"

"And your downfall!" Vida finished for Chip, pointing at Flytrap. The monster scoffed at their declaration, seeming to find it almost amusing instead.

"No problem," Flytrap held out his arms, and tentacles shot from his body to wrap around the Rangers. The Spawn stood nearby, hissing as they got ready to follow whatever commands that Flytrap gave. They watched as the Rangers struggled against the tight bonds that kept their arms pinned to their sides.

"It's not so easy to restrain a Fae!" Titania shouted. Rainbow magic shimmered around her, and the tentacle that was restraining her suddenly began to change. Flytrap gave a startled yelp as he felt his power over the tentacle vanish, and he watched as it turned into a harmless tree vine that fell from around the Black Ranger.

"Whoa!"

"That was awesome!" Vida cheered as Titania stumbled from the sudden dizziness of using so much Fae magic in one burst. She recovered faster than Flytrap did, and used her Magi Staff to cut through the rest of the tentacles, freeing the rest of her team.

"Magi Staff, Crossbow Mode! Fire!" Chip shot a bolt of lightning at Flytrap, making the monster roar in pain and stagger backwards.

"Nice one Chip!" Vida cheered, and they all leapt forwards to surround Flytrap. "Tornado Time!" she shouted, and the seven began to spin rapidly, creating enough power to lift the already weakened monster off his feet and throw him aside.

"Mystic Force!" the team cheered as Flytrap pushed himself back up, staggering as his body sparked with dark magic.

"Shut your traps…" he groaned, before starting to grow much larger than before. He roared down at them as the Vampire Spawn nearby snarled once again.

"Oh, take a break," Carvallain pointed his Morpher at them, and they vanished in a flash of silver. "They're somewhere safe for now, away from this fight," he told the others before they could ask.

"Great, then let's even this out," Chip said as he looked up at Flytrap. The team grabbed their Morphers, casting their Titan spell before combining to form their Megazord.

"Let's get him!" Maddie grinned, ready to get payback on the monster who had messed with Vida. She glanced to the energetic Pink Ranger. "You alright, sis?" she asked her. Vida gave an eager nod.

"Never been better," she grinned wildly under her helmet, striking her pose once again.

"Liking the new pose, V," Chip laughed, before turning his attention to the fight. "Titan Sabre!" he shouted, and their magic summoned the powerful blade.

"Try and stop these!" Flytrap threw out another round of tentacles at them, but the Rangers were ready this time. Duplicating their Sabre, they hurled the copies forwards to cut through the tentacles while bombarding the monster with attacks.

"The sun!" Titania gasped suddenly, seeing the light start to trickle over the city. "It's starting to rise," she warned, and they all gulped, knowing that Vida would lose strength soon.

"We have to break the spell, fast!" Chip shouted.

"Ready!" the Rangers held their hands over their consoles, filling them with magic before they raised their Staffs.

"Ancient power…Mystic Spell Seal!" they landed the powerful finishing blow on Flytrap, who roared in agony.

"You're planted," Nick smirked as the monster exploded.

The humans who had temporarily been Vampire Spawn were all emerging from the club where Carvallain had sent them, looking thoroughly confused about how much time had passed, and how little they remembered of the gig they had been attending. As they left the club and started to trudge home, they remained entirely unaware that their saviours were watching from the bridge above.

"Chip saved the day," Maddie beamed, putting an arm around their friend. "I got my sister back," she reached out and took Vida's hand. "And Briarwood teenagers are back to normal," she listed, and Nick cheered loudly as adrenaline still coursed through him.

"Not a bad day at all," Titania laughed, before pausing. "Or…uh…night," she corrected, making them laugh.

"I do wonder how that monster got the power to turn humans into Vampires," Carvallain confessed, adjusting his headphones.

"Necrolai likely gave him the power to do her bidding. Stupid hag," Titania huffed.

"Hey, at least it's over now," Xander said, patting Titania's head as he grinned widely. "And now Chip and V get to meet Tári," his words made Carvallain go rigid, and Titania giggled.

"Who's Tári?" Chip and Vida chorused together, curious about the mischievous look on Xander's face.

"Carvallain's girlfriend," Nick sang. Carvallain whipped his head around to glare at Xander, knowing instantly he was responsible for telling them.

"You have a girlfriend?" both shouted in disbelief. "I get turned into a Vampire and I miss out on everything," Vida complained.

"She is not my girlfriend," Carvallain groaned, striding forwards quickly to try and get away from them. The Rangers followed, all laughing.

"No, she's his betrothed," Xander corrected, which only made the Elf's blushing grow.

"I rue the day humans were allowed to become Mystics," he said aloud.

"No you don't," Nick shoved him with a grin, and despite his embarrassment, Carvallain grinned back at him.

Music was filling the air as usual in Rock Porium, as despite being up all night - once again - the Rangers were filled with energy. Especially Vida, who was dancing with LeeLee after jumping down from the DJ decks with a cheer. She seemed to have completely recovered, but there was a faint dark magic still around her that Udonna gathered would fade in time.

"I can see why your uncle was so adamant that we refrain from visiting this realm," Tári said to Carvallain as they watched. She wore a pretty white sundress and a pair of boots, with her long golden hair styled to hide her ears from view. "If I visited here in the past, I might not have left," she laughed. Hearing her, Vida grinned and grabbed her arm, pulling her in to dance with her and LeeLee.

"Exactly as I feared," Carvallain mused, watching from the sidelines with his arms folded. Despite that, he couldn't help but smile as he watched them.

"So Nick," Chip turned to their Red Ranger, who was the only one attempting to do any work. "Now that you know Vampires do exist, how about joining the COUNT-V club?" he suggested, holding a bag up.

"Not interested," Nick declined.

"COUNT-V club?" Titania asked, intrigued by his words. Chip nodded eagerly.

"Containment Of Underworld Nocturnal Transylvanian Vampires!" he elaborated, and Titania cocked her head as a baffled look crossed her face.

"But…we already fight the creatures of the Underworld," she pointed out, keeping her voice low enough that LeeLee wouldn't hear her. "Why would you need a club for that?" Titania asked, not understanding. Nick snorted.

"It's a great question," he said, but Chip wasn't put off by their words.

"Not everyone has the power we do - and this will help keep everyone else safe. Let me show you guys what $200 gets you!" he set the bag down and opened it. Nick looked baffled at the price that Chip had paid for what he assumed was going to be random junk. "Three cloves of garlic…the 'How To Spot a Vampire' handbook, mirror, Vampire Chalk, a vial-"

"Wait," Nick stopped him as Titania eyed the garlic, which was looking a little wilted. "Vampire Chalk?" he repeated with raised eyebrows.

"No Vampire Hunter worth his wooden stake goes anywhere without it," Chip declared, his chest puffed up.

"Just to make you aware, wooden stakes only work on Vampire Spawn," Titania supplied, and Nick shot her a look to tell her that she wasn't helping. Titania smiled sweetly back at him.

"You just draw a circle around the vampire, and they cannot cross the line," Chip held up a large, pale blue piece of chalk he'd taken from his Vampire Kit. He then went to the open space where LeeLee, Vida and Tári were dancing, and started to draw on the ground.

"What is he doing?" Maddie asked as she went to walk past, pausing when she saw Chip.

"Showing how Vampire Chalk works," Nick answered, still sounding sceptical as Titania giggled. Maddie started to laugh too, always entertained by Chip's overzealous behaviour.

"Uh, sorry? These are $300 boots," LeeLee jumped away, looking horrified. "Draw your chalk near someone else's feet," she grumbled. Chip just shrugged and continued to draw around Vida and Tári, who were still dancing.

"If this Vampire Chalk supposedly traps Vampires…how can you get a Vampire to stay still long enough to draw around it like this?" Carvallain wondered as he drifted over to watch. Once the circle was drawn, Chip got back to his feet.

"Let them have their fun," Tári said, stepping over the circle line with a smile. She walked over to Carvallain, who softened and nodded.

"So…if Vida was a Vampire…she couldn't cross that line," Nick summed up. Chip nodded, and Maddie and Nick burst out laughing.

"It's a good thing we broke Flytrap's spell on her then," Titania said. The others nodded their agreement, even as they continued to laugh at the ridiculous collection of items that Chip carried.

"Hey V! We got any Coltraine on CD?" Xander called over to her, knowing she had been the last to check the stock.

"Lemme check!" Vida finally stopped her dancing, but the moment she moved to step out of the circle, the chalk lit up with a pale blue light and she screamed in pain. Everyone froze, and Xander hung up the phone to run over. Her breathing unsteady in confusion and pain, Vida tried to step over the line again, only for the light to pulse again, creating a barrier that she collided with. She screamed again, stumbling as she barely stayed on her feet.

"V?" Chip called out softly to the Pink Ranger as she sagged forwards, breathing heavily as everyone stared at her. Fear crept in over the group when she didn't answer. "V? Are you alright?" Chip tried again.

This time Vida lifted her head and hissed at them through fanged teeth, her eyes glowing red as the Vampiric energy around her fell over the room, and nobody dared to speak.

Did I get inspiration from two different sources for this chapter? Possibly.

Hope you liked it!

Please review!