“Please Liz, don’t ask. I just don’t want him to. I don’t think I could deal with anymore alien activities right now. This cut feels real, it feels human and understand that I need to have that right now.”

“I understand!” Liz hugged Maria and slowly made her way down to the back of the bus. Max, Isabel, Kyle, Alex and Tess were all waiting for Liz to tell them of the outcome. They were on their way back to Roswell after a trip to see some universities and something strange had happened to Maria during it. She wouldn’t tell them the whole story. She said that she had been mugged; that they had stolen her bag and had slashed her across the face with a knife in the process as she got away. But Liz felt that there was something she was keeping from them and the strangest thing of all, Maria wouldn’t let Max heal her.

“Look guys, I think we should just leave it, ok. I think she’s in shock or something. She’ll come around.” Liz sat down beside Max.

“I don’t know Liz. I’ve never seen her like this before.”

“Yeah, she seems so subdued and not herself. Something happened and things have changed. I think Alex’s right, she’s different.” Isabel looked up the aisle towards Maria’s seat.

“Maybe Michael can talk to her when we get back?” said Max.

“Maybe I could dreamwalk her?” returned Isabel.

“No” shouted Max and Liz in unison.

Michael was sitting, waiting in the car as the bus arrived in Roswell. Maria was last to get out. The others crowded around the car eager to tell Michael of the trip. He watched Maria as she slipped silently past them, covering her left cheek with her hand and he furrowed his head in suspicion.

“Hey Maxwell what’s up?” he asked as the group dispersed. Max, Isabel and Tess stayed to get a life with Michael as the others went their separate ways. They got into the car, with Max in the driving seat.

“With what?” Max asked.

“You know, with Maria. What’s going on? She couldn’t have gotten away quick enough!”

“She got into some trouble while we were away.” said Tess.

“She gave us some watered down version of how she got mugged but something’s not right,” added Isabel from the back.

“Maria got mugged!” exclaimed Michael.

“She’s fine but that’s not the whole story,” told Max.

“Yeah, she wouldn’t let Max heal her after they slashed her face,” continued Tess.

“She got hurt!” exclaimed Michael.

“She’s fine!” said Max, “But would you have a word with her anyway just to make sure?”

“Whatever!”

“What do you guys want?” Liz flipped open her notebook. Max, Michael and Isabel looked at the menu again and ordered. The door to the Crashdown opened and they all turned to see Maria walking in.

“Hi!” said Liz brightly.

“Hi all!” returned Maria as she quickly dashed past the booth and through the double doors, ducking her head so that she could avoid them seeing her cut. The rest all looked at Michael.

“Whatever!” he exclaimed as he got up and followed her in. He found her in the bathroom, examining her face in the mirror and he startled her when he spoke.

“Hey, how you doing?” She quickly raised her hand to her cheek.

“Alright!” she replied, “You?”

“Pretty decent! So what’s going on with you?”

“Excuse me?” She tried to push past him but he grabbed the arm that covered her cheek and pulled her close to him.

“What happened? Why are you acting so weird?” He pointed to Maria’s cheek. She flinched away from him and he let her go.

“Leave me alone, Michael. I’ve got work to do. Besides why are you suddenly so concerned about me?” she shouted and ran up the stairs. Michael went to follow when the door of the bathroom slammed in his face, locking him in and the mirror on the wall cracked in two places.

“Damn, I’ve got to get these powers controlled. But I didn’t think I…”

Liz finally got the last customer out and sighed in relief as she locked the door. It had grown dark outside and she was getting worried. She turned to the others.

“Maybe we should go check?”

“Liz they’ve only been in there for like 10 minutes,” answered Max

“But it is Michael. Maria’s probably killed him!” joked Isabel.

“I’m looking anyway.” Liz walked to the back with the others in tow. They had just gone through when the door to the bathroom flew open with Michael standing there looking very angry.

“Where’s Maria?” asked Liz, worriedly.

“Upstairs.” answered Michael. They all went up and found her asleep on Liz’s bed.

“You know I could dreamwalk her?” suggested Isabel.

“No!” cried Max and Liz together. Maria began to moan and twist in her sleep. Michael sat down beside her. A thin stream of blood trickled down her face from the wound and he traced it with his finger. Suddenly a pain stabbed through his head and an image of he and Maria kissing, surrounded by a strange landscape came and went. Maria sat up suddenly and opened her eyes in a daze.

“Kivar?” she mummered.

“What?” asked a surprised Isabel. The others drew back in confusion.

“Nothing!” Maria replied. She looked at Michael the trance broken and lifted his hand to her cheek. A tingling sensation vibrated through his hand and he withdrew it in terror. The cut on Maria’s face was gone.

“You did it!” she exclaimed and she ran from the room.

Maria ran downstairs into the Crashdown and was suddenly confronted with Tess, Kyle and Alex. The others soon came up behind her and she was surrounded. She could no longer escape from it. They bombarded her with questions.

“What the hell is going on with…”

“What happened…”

“How did you make me do that?” asked Michael confused.

The door to the Crashdown burst opened and everyone turned to see what was going on. Nikolas, Rath, Lonnie and some skins walked casually in.

“So what have we here, Lonnie?” asked Nikolas.

“I think we have some bunnies in a trap!” she replied.

Max, Michael, Tess, Isabel and Kyle stood out in front of the others, prepared to do battle.

“So did you tell them yet? Have they found out about our little meeting?” asked Nikolas to no one in particular. Isabel stepped forward.

“They know about Vilandra…”

Nikolas continued, “I think it’s time for you to come now. Leave them and join us. You know you belong to us.” Maria began to inch away from the group bit by bit.

“You’re not taking me!” cried Isabel.

“Poor selfish Vilandra. Everything has to be about you.” He turned to the group and they froze in terror.

“You can’t get away. I’ve found you and Kivar will be very pleased.” Maria stopped and prepared for the inevitable.

“Leave us!” demanded Max. Suddenly without warning Rath and Lonnie threw their hands up into the air and Nikolas began to laugh.

“This is the best part, people. This is when I mess with you!”

“Watch out!” cried Tess as she tried to use her powers but it was too late. She couldn’t move nor could the others. The royal four looked at each other in terror.

“I can’t use my powers!” exclaimed Isabel. None of them could.

“Take us!” shouted Michael, “Leave the others. They don’t belong here.” This made Nikolas laugh even harder.

“Stupid boy. You have been so blind. You don’t know what’s in front of you!”

“Hey, I’m not the one who’s twelve years old here.”

“But she has hid it well. So well in fact that she didn’t even know. But I knew, I felt her presence,” continued Nikolas, “And I have awakened her.”

“You’re not taking Isabel!” shouted Michael. Suddenly Maria found that she could move. All the others were frozen and she realised that she never got frozen.

“Why would I want her?” asked Nikolas, furiously.

“What?” asked Isabel, confused. Nikolas pointed to Lonnie.

“He’s got the real thing right here, baby!” grinned Lonnie. Nikolas turned his back on them.

“I know you’re not frozen! Come to me.”

“Well?” asked Michael to Isabel,

“I’m can’t move, Michael.” she replied.

“Then who…”

“Shut up!” shouted Nikolas as he turned and grabbed Michael. “You don’t deserve her. You treated her badly and you will pay, boy. Yet I don’t understand why you didn’t feel her but I guess you were too busy looking else where.” He looked at Maria. “Beautiful Alyssa, I told you that they don’t deserve you but you never did listen to me.”

Maria walked slowly past Alex, Liz, Kyle, Max, Isabel and finally Michael. They all watched in fear and confusion. Lonnie and Rath grabbed her. Nikolas let go of Michael and took Maria’s face in his hands. He examined her features as Michael began to struggle. A tear slipped down her cheek.”

“I told you I’m not Alyssa!” she cried defiantly.

“I know but her blood is flowing through your veins. You have her memories, her feelings: she is resurrected in you.”

“I will come with you if you let them go,” she said looking at Michael.”

“I’ll leave them for later as you wish.” He walked over to Isabel. “Did you really think that Kivar loved you Vilandra? He used you to win the war and he did it for her. Lets go!” he ordered. They took Maria and left.