Maria never stopped falling as she blacked out. Instead, she fell down an endless whirlwind of all the vibrant colors of the rainbow. A song from childhood came to her head and she began to sing it, her voice sounding strong but hollow at the same time. "Red and yellow and pink and green, purple and orange and blue, you can sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow too. Listen with your eyes, listen with your eyes, and sing everything you see. You can sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow, sing along with me."
On her last note, she hit the ground with a grunt, her head spinning and her eyes blinded the brilliant light around her. She shook her head to clear out the dust that had settled in there and finally her eyes focused on her surroundings. She was in a forest full of gigantic trees and large blades of grass. *Hey! I know this place!* she thought. *But where do I know this from? It's...shit, it's right at the tip of my tongue but I can't remember!*
She looked down to where she landed and saw that she hadn't landed on the ground but a big red mushroom with white polka-dots. It wasn't so much the mushroom that confused her but her own nude body that rested upon the mushroom. Her skin was blue! *What's going on?* she wondered, her eyes darting left and right, waiting to be let in on the joke. She frowned as another realization came to her. *Why is everything so big? And how am I supposed to get down? I don't like it here!*
Absently, her hand reached around to her back to scratch the itch she was feeling. Her hand encountered something that she was positive wasn't supposed the be there and she drew it back quickly. *Wha...?* her head whipped around and she realized she had wings! I'm a pixie!
Once the initial shock wore off, she began to wonder if she could fly? The idea excited her. She had always wanted to fly. She stood up on her legs and looked around cautiously. *Okay, how should I do this?* She first held out her arms but then realized that her wings would have to do the job, not her arms, but she couldn't get her wings to work. Concentrating on the muscles in her back, she pushed with her mind but to no avail. "How the hell am I supposed to get these damn things to work?" she grumbled.
"You can't fly in a glass jar, stupid!" an incredibly loud voice neither male nor female said and Maria looked around in search of its owner.
She couldn't find its source and she put her hands on her hips. "Look, whoever you are, I'm in no mood for games. Show yourself!"
"Why should I?" the voice answered.
"Because...Because I said so!" she sputtered lamely.
"Ooooh, I'm terrified," the voice answered sarcastically.
"Fine! If you're not going to reveal yourself to me than leave me the hell alone. I need to learn to fly."
"But you can't fly dummy! That's what I'm trying to tell you! No one can fly in here."
Maria frowned, feeling a wave of both anger and frustration washing over her. "Why not?" she asked, her brow furrowing.
"Because of the glass jar! I already told you!"
Maria rolled her eyes, wanting to scream. "Would you stop being so cryptic, you're annoying the hell out of me." She took a deep breath, willing her anger away and then, more calmly she asked, "What glass jar?"
"The one I use to hold your dreams in. How stupid are you?"
Maria temper boiled again and she clenched her jaw. "Look, I'm getting real sick of the name calling. If you can't give me a straight answer than you can just leave me alone!"
The forest echoed with jovial laughter and her brain felt like it was going to explode. She clamped her hands over her ears, recoiling for only a minute when she felt the points at a top but the laughter was so painful that she didn't allow herself to think about it too much. When the laughter stopped, Maria slowly removed her hands.
"Peek-a-boo," a voice whispered in her ear and she practically jumped out of her skin. She whipped her body around and narrowed her eyes to small slits at the person.
"Kyle," she hissed in disgust, both fear and severe dislike rushing through her body. *Wait? Where did that come from? Why am I so mad at Kyle?* She wondered. There had to be a reason. She bit her lower lip and looked down at the ground, struggling to remember but it wouldn't come to her. She shrugged her shoulders and glared at him again. *There has to be a good reason so I'll just stay mad at him.*
"What do you want?" her cold voice demanded as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Are you still mad?" he asked sheepishly, looking like a lost little boy.
Maria was confused. He looked so childish. Even his voice had that innocence.
She let her arms fall to her side. "Maybe," she answered cautiously. "But back to my original question. What do you want?"
Kyle looked around, in search of god knew what, and then he leaned in to her and whispered. "Maria, there's still hope for you but it's too late for me. I'm already trapped in the spider's web but you can still get away. He went away for a moment but he could be back any moment so listen. I can tell you what to do to use your wings but I can't tell you how."
"Who is he?" Maria whispered, completely confused. "And why can't you come with me."
"You don't remember?" he asked, looking at her sideways before shaking his head and saying, "Don't worry you will."
"Was he the voice?" she asked, unsure.
Kyle nodded. "But that's not all. Now, listen, we don't have much time. You have to fly Maria."
"But I don't know how."
Kyle shook his head. "It isn't about knowing Maria, it's about remembering. You have to remember how you got here and once you do, you can leave. It's that simple. He thinks he finally trapped you but you're strong and you can still get out."
Maria tried to remember how she got there but it wouldn't come to her. She stamped her feet in frustration and looked to Kyle for help. "Can't you just tell me?"
He shook his head again and frowned. "No, I can't tell you because I don't know. I've been in here too long."
"Where's here then?"
A hand squeezed around her heart at the sorrow in his voice. It tore her apart. "His glass jar. The place where you exist but don't live. The place where you give up your free will. I've been in here too long to remember and as much as I'd like your company, I'd never wish this on you. You have to remember Maria. You're our last hope."
"Last hope for what?" she cried throwing her hands up in the air in frustration. Another thought occurred to her. "And why am I a pixie and you're not?"
"The first question I can't answer. You have to remember that for yourself, Maria. But as for the next question, I've been in here too long. He plucked my wings and now I'm stuck in here until you come for me."
"But I'm here right now."
"That's not what I mean. You're not really here yet. Only the part he can control is here but the rest of you is somewhere else. Do you remember where that place is?"
She shook her head. "No," she whispered helplessly and tears rose in her eyes. She was so scared and confused.
Kyle closed his eyes and the defeat was evident on his face. "Then there is no help for us. We're his forever now. I have to go. If he finds out I talked to you, he'll be mad and I don't want to make him mad. He does terrible things to me when he's mad."
"Don't leave me, Kyle," Maria called desperately as he turned to go.
"I have to. I don't want him to hurt us. Good-bye, Maria." He began to walk away, his shoulders slumping. Maria looked down again and felt a single tear slide down her cheek. She felt so alone.
"Oh yeah, Maria?" Kyle spoke and Maria looked up sharply.
"Yes?"
"I never got to tell you that I'm sorry."
"For what?"
He shrugged. "That's what you have to remember. Oh, and one more thing. His weakness is your love. Not for him but for someone else. Someone very important. That's all I can tell you because that's all I can remember."
Maria pondered that for a moment and she was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't even see Kyle fade into thin air.
"I have to figure this out!" she said firmly, feeling a burst of determination run through her. "Love. What is love?" She couldn't remember, had she ever experienced it? *Think, Maria. What does the word love mean?* Her memory of the slightest thing was growing weaker by the moment.
"Love, love, love, love...what is love?"
She suddenly heard a voice in her head and all the emotions behind it. "I love you, Maria." The voice was all around her but it wasn't the same voice as before. This one was so full of...love! *I know what love is!*
Her heart skipped a beat as several feelings rushed through her. Love was passion. It was fire. It gave you a reason to live. It was a sharing of hearts and souls with someone else. It was caring so much for someone that their mere smile could brighten you day. It was an emotion so strong that you would do anything to make them love you back. Love was beautiful and tender and absolutely magnificent!
Maria was in awe. Who had ever felt that strong about her?
"You have to let me in Maria," the voice said again. Whose voice? That was the question. Who had a voice so full of all those feelings for her?
She sighed feeling so lost. She just couldn't remember.
Michael was a wreck. They had dragged Maria's unconscious body back to the main house and he was holding her limp form in his arms, trying to reach her but she wouldn't respond. It was almost as if she were....
"No! Something is wrong! Her breathing is too shallow and I can't hear her thoughts. The connection is gone! I've tried sending some but she doesn't respond." He slapped her on the face a few times. "Maria! Come on baby, you need to wake up! Please, I need you!" Still, she didn't stir. He looked to the other's for help, white showing all around his eyes. His voice cracked and his eyes grew shiny. "We have to do something!"
Max and Isabel exchanged worried glances. They had never seen their friend like this, never seen him so broken and frail. He had gone through such a transformation in the last week. He was now wearing his frantic heart on his sleeve for them all to see and it was heartbreaking. Max could feel his love for Maria radiating in the room. They all could. "What can we do?" he asked.
Michael shook his head helplessly and squeezed his eyes shut tight. A few moments later he reopened them and looked at them all with anguish in his eyes, his voice desperate. "She won't answer me! I can't get her to hear me. Help!"
Ashtar appeared at Michael's side and lightly placed his hand on Maria's forehead, seemingly searching for something under the surface. Everyone watched on, wondering what he was looking for?
"What do you see?" Michael finally asked not able to wait any longer.
"Power," he whispered, absently.
It made no sense. "Power? What do you mean power?" < align="justify"p>Ashtar shook his head, clearing it and then he finally looked at the group. "Power," he repeated. "There is a great power that has her trapped somewhere in her own mind. And the only way to fight power is with power."
Michael didn't hesitate. "What do we do?"
*****
Ashtar drew a circle in the floor with a wand that had a chalky substance on top and told the teenagers to step inside of it and sit knee to knee. The gang filed into the circle and took their places, crossing their legs. Ashtar surrounded the circle with cushions from the furniture and handed them each an Assara crystal "for energy flow," he said.
Michael held Maria in his arms, growing more and more desperate. It just wasn't right. He couldn't connect with her, couldn't sense anything from her.
"With the seven of you connected, you can break her free from her trap."
"Seven?" Liz asked. There were only six of them, weren't there?
"The baby," Michael answered for the older man.
Liz nodded. "Oh. But what about Alex and me? Were not...what I mean to say is we don't have any powers."
"That may be but you are all connected by destiny, and that makes you just as much powers as the others. Now, what you need to do is connect with each other first. That's the easy part. You will not be sharing memories like Michael and Maria did but you will be sharing other things. The hard part is connecting with Maria. I'm not sure exactly how it will work with her unconscious but Michael and the child should be your link."
"Kinda like we did with Michael after he went to the sweat?" Alex said, looking questioningly at the others.
Max nodded. "Yes, just do what we did then. Keep your mind open and concentrate. Give Michael as much power as you can." He looked to Michael. "It will be up to you to get that power to her."
Michael nodded, wondering how difficult it would be?
"Let's start," Ashtar said. "I'll turn the lights down low. Hold the crystals in your right hands and synchronize your breathing."
The lights darkened without the older man even moving and then they were in total darkness.
They all reached for each other's hands, Michael and Liz holding onto Maria's unresponsive hands and began to breathe loudly to get their breathing in sync.
It took a few moments but finally, their began to breathe as one. Three seconds inhale, three seconds exhale. The connection was made immediately.
It was more powerful than Michael could ever imagine. It moved around the circle slow at first but then it grew until it all of their thoughts became one and one person's mind couldn't be distinguished from another.
Ashtar's eyes finally adjusted to the dark and he watched as the entire group fell back onto the pillows he had provided.
He had know that they would probably all slip into a trance but he never expected it to happen so quickly. These children were full of power, a power so strong that it almost scared him.
With the right training, they would be indestructible.
*****
Michael looked around at their surroundings. They were standing in the grass in the middle of a forest. Except this forest was different than any forest he had ever seen. All around them was a kaleidoscope of color. "Where do I know this place?" he asked. It looked very familiar.
"I think were in Wonderland," Liz replied.
"Wonderland?"
Liz shook her head. "Yeah, as is Alice in Wonderland. It's Maria's favorite Disney movie."
"Whooo Areeee Yooouuuuu?" Alex joked and everyone looked at him curiously. "You know, the caterpillar and the pipe with the little letters..." he shook his head when they still didn't get the joke. "Nevermind."
"Anyways, Michael, do you sense anything?"
Every pair of eyes turned to Michael and he searched his mind. At first there was nothing, not a glimmer, but as he searched deeper, he felt something. "Loss," he whispered and his eyes flew open. "Loss, she feeling loss. She's here! We have to find her!" He impulsively jumped into action ready to run.
"Wait! Michael! This place is huge, you can't just run off without a plan!" Isabel called after him but he just kept on running.
"Maybe not so much has really changed," Max sighed. "He still acts without thinking. Come on, let's follow him."
*****
"MARIA!!? WHERE ARE YOU?" Michael called as he ran. He needed to find her. If she was trapped like Ashtar had said, then she probably didn't have much time.
"MARIA!!!!"
"Who's there," he heard a very quiet voice, no louder than a gently whisper say. Maria's voice! He looked around desperately.
"MARIA!! WHERE ARE YOU??"
"You're hurting my ears," the voice said. "It's too loud but I'm right below you."
Michael looked down quickly and frowned. There was no one there! "Where?"
"Down here! On the mushroom!"
He looked down and saw a small red mushroom and an even smaller blue figure sitting on it. He crawled on his knees and looked. It was a tiny Maria. "What the fuck?" he said. "Why are you so small?"
She stood up on her feet and he noticed that she had wings and pointy ears. "What are you supposed to be?" he asked.
"I'm a pixie who can't fly because I can't remember."
"Can't remember what?"
"How I got here," she replied sadly. "And Kyle said I have to remember if I want to get out."
Michael looked around. "Kyle? Where is that bastard?"
"He had to go. He said the guy with the glass jar would hurt him if he found out he talked to me."
"The guy with the what?"
Maria looked at him and her expression clearly showed annoyance. "The glass jar. He had a loud voice and he was mean to me." Her annoyance drained and she continued. "And then, I heard this other voice. A beautiful voice so full of love, and Kyle said that love could save us but I couldn't remember who had ever loved me like that."
"It was me Maria! I tried to reach you but you wouldn't answer. Don't you know who I am?'
She shook her head. "Should I?'
Michael's heart shattered. She didn't even remember him. He had to convince her. "I'm Michael. Do you know that name?"
*****
Maria bit her tiny lip, concentrating hard. *Michael,* she thought. *Michael. Do I know a Michael?*
Nothing came to her and she almost shook her head no but she had a flash.
She was crying, completely broken, and Michael was holding her body in a shower and saying, *Oh, God Maria. I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean a word of it. I do want you, more than you could ever know. I want you more than anything I've ever wanted. I mean that, more than anything, including finding my past. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me. You're the most important thing in my pathetic life. When I'm around you, I go crazy. I can't concentrate on anything else. I'm so sorry I said those horrible things, they were lies. I was just scared. I didn't know how to react, so I yelled. God, I need you. I love you so much*
She could feel her own shock. A rush of images and voices surrounded her head, all from their past and then her wings began to flutter and she was flying!
She could remember!