Nobody had an answer to his question. Novi was dumbfounded that they had refused them, she wanted to run away because once again she could feel Solar growing stronger feeding off her emotions.
"Ha ha ha. It won't be much longer. You can feel yourself slipping," mocked Solar.
Novi covered her ears and dropped to her knees as she could feel Solar pushing her way to the front of her consciousness.
"NO, I won't let you," she cried out.
She felt a rough hand on her shoulder that yanked her to her feet.
"Get off me!" she growled trying to push the creature away.
He eyes flashed from green to orange as she and Solar began the fight for control, she her anger reached boiling point.
"I SAID GET OFF ME!" she screamed but her voice was not her own.
The hideacs that were holding her were incinerated as she could feel Solar powers flood her body as the pair continued to fight for control and Novi could feel herself slipping away, sinking into the darkness that enveloped her.
"Vida!" she managed to call out before Solar took control.
Vida tried to reach her but was stopped as more hideacs arrived on the scene. Solar drew on the dark magic that was around her feeling herself grow stronger and a sadistic smile grew on her face, this was going to be fun. She charged at the nearest hideac and before it could react, she threw out her hand and sent it flying into a wall, it crumbled and was gone. Solar balled up her fists then flicked them open as a ball of flame appeared on each hands and for a moment, she watched them dance on her palms, the orange flames reflected in her eyes. She threw the balls not caring at the hideacs that crept around her. She turned as there was a crackle behind her as Necrolai arrived at tried to blast her, but Solar caught the energy and threw it back at her.
Solar muttered something under her breath and Novi's staff appeared in her hands and Solar twirled it between her fingers before pointing it at Necrolai and a blast of magic shot out of it knocking Necrolai to the ground. Solar stood over her the staff pointed at her the two locked eyes for a moment before Necrolai took off. With the hideacs that had surrounded them now gone, the others rushed over to Solar's side.
"Hey Novi, that was amazing," Chip gushed excitedly.
"Yeah, but how do you still have—," Vida trailed off as she caught sight of her eyes. "You aren't Novi, are you?"
"Nice catch babe," Solar replied with a smirk as Vida's hands flew to her mouth.
"No," Vida gasped taking a step back.
"What's wrong V?" asked Xander.
"Novi babe, please come back to us," Vida begged.
"It's going to take more than a few puppy dog pouts to get your precious girlfriend back. She is so wrapped up in my darkness right now that she is nothing more than a blip, but she can hear you, so you are welcome to try," Solar jeered.
"That isn't Novi," she explained unable to take her eyes of Solar.
"What do you mean of course it is," said Chip walking over to Solar.
He went to put an arm around Solar when she turned and blasted him, which sent him flying back into Nick.
"I guess our little secret is out now, right V?" Solar said turning her attention to Vida.
"What is she talking about? What secret?" asked Xander.
Vida remained silent so Solar honed in on her omission to tell them team.
"Novi warned Vida about me a few weeks ago. I guess she didn't feel it that she trusted you enough to share this information with the rest of you."
"It wasn't like that and I'm sure you already know that! Novi didn't want to even tell me, it slipped out and she begged me not to say anything as she wasn't ready to talk about it. She was planning to tell you when she was ready to discuss it," Vida snapped defensively but it had the effect Solar had been hoping for.
"You still should have said something," snapped Chip in return holding his side where Solar had blasted him.
"Look I'm sorry I didn't say anything, but it wasn't really my place to say anything. Besides us arguing is exactly what she wants, if we are arguing between ourselves, we won't be trying to find a way to get Novi back," said Vida firmly.
The other nodded in agreement and started walking not realizing that Solar was watching them.
"Any human who doesn't obey the law will be taken to the mines; you live to serve us now." said Necrolai.
"This is horrible," said Maddie
"They have taken over the whole city, and there is nothing we can do about it," said Chip.
"The world belongs to the forces of darkness," continued Necrolai.
"We failed and, in the process, we lost one of our own to them as well," said Xander.
They heard the twinkling of a music box and turned to see Toby holding a small box to his ear and he turned the tiny crank, he sighed in contentment at hearing the song play but his pleasure didn't last long as Necrolai also heard the music, and she grabbed the box from his hands.
"You were told once before music is forbidden—."
"But it's just a little music box," protested Toby.
"The law is the law. Cease him!" Necrolai ordered.
The teens watched as Hideacs grabbed Toby and started to drag him away.
"If we had our magic, they wouldn't get away this this," snapped Xander in frustration
"Help somebody help me," pleaded Toby.
Nick could no longer take just standing back and watch Toby to be dragged away.
"Magic or no magic, I'm not going to stand by and watch this."
Solar watched as he ran towards Toby and started to pull the hideacs off him and it wasn't long before the others joined in to help him.
"That have no magic, yet they continue to fight. How strange, their destruction is certain yet still they fight. If they succeed, maybe they will be more of a challenge than I first believed," Solar remarked to herself. She moved to a loser rooftop so she could better observe.
The fight didn't last very longer and mostly the rangers got thrown around like rag dolls, but it got the attention of Necrolai.
"Well, well looks who's back."
The rangers huddled closer to together as the backed away from her.
"Wh—what are you going to do to ask?" asked Maddie her voice shaking.
"Something I have wanted to do for a long time, Annihilate you!"
As she moved towards them, her hand ready to strike suddenly Solar felt a rush of magic and looked up to see the sky changing back to its normal color. She looked back to the rangers who pulled out their Mystic Morpher and she felt Novi's also return to its pocket. She also felt Novi stir deep with herself but knew that the flood of good magic would not be enough for Novi to return, she had absorbed so much dark energy, it would take months for Novi to claw her way back to the surface.
"They have their powers back now, things just got more interesting.
Solar watched as the rangers now with their magic back, tore their way through the hundreds of Hideacs that has filled the city before Fightoe reappeared in giant size and they quickly dispatched him as well. She waited until the teens had powered down and were celebrating their win before she made her appearance.
"Bravo, Bravo," Solar applauded coldly. "You did well to defeat Fightoe, but how will you fare against me?"
"But I thought?" asked Vida shocked.
"Thought what? You thought that just because the good magic returned so would your precious lover? Think again sweetheart. It will take a lot more than good magic to reach her now," Solar mocked.
"Novi, Please I know you can fight this, you are stronger than she is. Come back to me," Vida pleaded.
Solar charged at Vida but was blocked by Chip as he tried to hold her back. She pushed against him, her arms reaching out to grab Vida. She growled turning on Chip and she used her air power to forcefully shove him out of the way. She pulled out her magi Staff and struck Chip across the chest. He was thrown backwards and landed hard on the ground groaning as he tried to get back on his feet. Maddie helped him up, but he still held an arm around his middle and winced when Maddie's hand brushed against his chest. She lunged again at Vida, but Xander grabbed her arm, whirling her around and away from Vida as he gently knocked her back. She watched as for a moment as Nick reached for his morpher but paused and withdrew his hand away from it. A sinister smile spread across her face as she realized while they were fighting her, they were holding back their attacks not wanting to hurt her, but she had no intention of going easy on them. She leapt back and unleashed a fiery blast at them, but Maddie stepped out and used to water powers to block it. The flames hissed at the water hit them and steam rose blocking her view. When it cleared, she failed to notice that Vida was gone as she launched another attack on them but felt someone grabbed her from behind and whirl her around, it was Vida.
Vida held her arms tightly to her side as she stared into her face and looked deep into her eyes.
"Novi, I know you are in there, Please come back to me. I love you!"
Vida pressed her lips to hers and Solar struggled to pull away but that only made Vida hold her arms tighter.
Solar shuddered as Vida kept her lips pressed on hers, Novi's voice turned from a quiet whisper to a shout as she clawed her way to the front pushing Solar down. Novi now back in control kissed Vida lifting her arms to embrace Vida. As they kissed the world seemed to melt away everything else fading into the background until it was just them in their own private bubble. Novi finally pulled out of the kiss and smiled planting another kiss on her forehead.
"I love you too, V" she replied slightly out of breath. "I knew I could always count on you to pull me back."
Keeping her arms wrapped around Vida's waist Novi turned to the others.
"I am so sorry; I should have told you about Solar, but I was afraid too. I lost too many friends because of her, and I didn't want to lose all of you."
"But you told Vida," Chip asked.
"She didn't mean to tell me," Vida told him. "She was talking about it to Udonna, and I happened to overhear, later I pushed her into telling me. She begged me not to tell you about it and I promised her I wouldn't."
"I will tell you everything after the party, I promise," Novi told them.
~~~xXx~~~
Back at Rootcore the rangers celebrated over the fact that the tribunal of Magic had seen fit to reverse Imperious's wish and that everything was back to normal. She could sense the others mistrust as so she hung back from the festivities as a pool of guilt had nestled itself in the pit of her stomach.
"Going to the tribunal of magic took a lot of guts," said Daggeron approvingly "And I can't believe Koragg helped you."
"I just want to say I'm sorry. This whole mess happened because of me," said Jenji.
"It's not your fault, Jenji. You had to grant the wish," Maddie reassured him.
"The danger isn't over yet Rangers, two of the Barbarian Beast are still," Udonna started but was interrupted as the gong sounded alerting them there was trouble somewhere in the city.
"You had to say it," said Vida heaving a sigh.
"Novi, you should stay here," Udonna ordered. "We need to talk."
Novi nodded as Nick and the others left Rootcore.
~~~xXx~~~
"We met again Rangers," said 50 Below. "Attack!"
Fightoe rushed forward at them, and the rangers charged forward to meet him leaving Daggeron to fight Fightoe.
Nick, Vida reach him first as Nick used his sword to strike him but was knocked away. Vida tried to also hit him but was knocked aside. Maddie used her staff like an axe, but Fightoe struck her in the stomach and sent her flying backwards into a stack of metal barrels. Vida fired her pink magic, but Fightoe turned and blocked both their attacks and fired at the pair with beams from his eyes. The ground around them exploded as the beams hit their targets and the pair were thrown back by the explosions and crashed into metal pylons and wooden crates. Nick tried at attack him again, but he was also knocked back into the side of a building. The ranger climbed to the feet and stood together ready to launch another assault but before they could Fightoe blasted them, and they all were knocked back down.
"We should have done our best to defeat these guys when we had the chance," said Vida as she tried to get back on her feet, but she collapsed back on the ground.
"We took the easy way by using Jenji," said Chip.
"Face it guys, we got lazy," said Xander.
"That's what the Tribunal was trying to tell me, but I wouldn't listen," said Nick as he also tried to get back on his feet using his sword as a crutch, but it slipped on the loose gravel, and he fell back onto the ground.
"We shouldn't have given up so easily," said Vida.
Fightoe and 50Below stood over them and fired but before the blast could hit, they felt themselves being teleported and landed safely on top of a building. Novi felt her magic returning, breathing a sigh of relief as now the rangers stood a chance against Fightoe and 50Below.
Black smoke filled the crystal ball and in it Novi saw a giant shadow figure.
"Uhm…Udonna, Daggeron, you might want to take a look at this," Novi called to them.
Udonna and Daggeron joined her at the Crystal ball.
"There is dark magic activity in the Nether Dimension," said Udonna looking worriedly at Daggeron.
"Jenji and I will go, contact the rangers," said Daggeron.
"I'm coming with you," said Novi. Daggeron opened his mouth to speak but Novi cut him off. "We don't have time to argue."
Daggeron sighed, nodding in agreement as before calling for the Solar Streak train.
~~~xXx~~~
"What is that?" Novi asked as the train arrived in the Nether dimension.
"I don't know but we have to keep it from the surface world," said Daggeron activating the transformation of his Solar Streak Megazord.
Novi jumped out, morphing mid jump, and transforming into her Titan form.
The strange machine barreled towards them as several small flying objects shot out surround the pair and hitting them. Novi's titan form sparked as it fell backwards breaking through the barrier between this dimension and the surface world. Her titan Zord stumbled backwards, and it continued to spark before Novi lose her remaining energy, powering down to her civilian form. She landed hard on the ground in front of the rest of the rangers.
"Novi, are you okay?" Vida asked rushing up to her.
"Yeah, just a little weak. Fighting back Solar took more energy than I realized, I just need a minute," Novi told her. Vida stayed at her side as the others rushed toward Daggeron. "Vida, go. I promise I am fine, that machine is tough, they will need your help," Novi urged.
Vida planted a kiss on her forehead before running to catch up to the others.
Once Novi has rested enough to gather some of her strength before she flamed onto a rooftop to watch the remainder of the fight in safety. She watched as they called forth a new Megazord and quickly finished of the giant machine.
Novi leapt off the building landing beside them as the team celebrated their victory. Vida reached for her, laughing as Novi jumped on her back.
"Hey, we still have time to make it back for the party," said Vida.
There was a clap of thunder as Koragg appeared before them.
"Just so we are clear, our alliance is over rangers."
"It doesn't have to be," suggested Maddie.
"I only serve the Master," said Koragg.
"Got it. We are back to being enemies, but don't forget Koragg, we have more power than ever," Nick warned.
"Which will make my victory all the more satisfying when I defeat you," said Koragg. With that Koragg turned and walked away.
~~~xXx~~~
"I just can't understand why my employees would bail on the stores one year anniversary party!" Toby shouted.
"Sorry we are late Toby," called Maddie.
"We got the cake," said Nick.
"We made it ourselves," added Xander.
"Yep, the old-fashioned way, with hard work," said Vida presenting the cake to Toby.
"She said hard work, not good work," Chip added earning a dig in the ribs from Novi.
"I love it," said Toby. The crowd cheered.
"I'll just make a wish," said Toby closing his eyes.
"NOO!" the six teens cried out in horror.