Days had passed and there was still no sign of Mystic Mother, or Jindrax. Still Toxica waited on the cliff overlooking the beach, since she didn't have a need for rest, she instead kept a constant vigil.
The rangers had come to see her several times since he had disappeared, even offering her a place to stay at their base (and unlike the wild force rangers, they had actually MEANT it), but she refused, she wanted to make sure she was there when he came back.
"Are you sure you don't want to come back to OPS with us? Maybe take a rest and eat something?" Shane asked.
"Thank you again for the hospitality, but Orgs ..." She trailed off.
Could she even CALL herself an Org anymore? Orgs were born of pollution, and destruction, she herself had been created from toxic pools caused by volcanic activity thousands of years ago.
"... CREATURES like myself don't have a need for rest, or food."
"What about moral support? We know how painful it is to lose someone you care about." Blake said as Hunter nodded in agreement.
Toxica however glowered at them.
"He's NOT lost! He WILL be back!" She bit back, her magic crackling dangerously around her in her anger.
"Of course he will." Tori interjected empathetically as she elbowed Blake hard in the ribs.
Suddenly, their communicators went off.
"Guys, I'm picking up some major energy readings in the city."
A pang of concern shot through Toxica's body.
There was only one being that could produce an energy signal that strong.
"It has to be Villyana." She said.
"Looks like she wasn't destroyed after all." Hunter said as they all morphed.
"Wait ...! You can't go! You don't stand a chance against her!" Toxica said.
"Hey ... We're not weak, you know." Dustin said indignantly.
Toxica blew out a frustrated sigh at the team of determined rangers. She knew full well that the rangers were no match for Villyana, and her intuition told her that they knew it, too.
But still, they were prepared to basically march into certain death.
That one fact stirred something deep within her ... And there was no way she could let them do this alone.
'I'm sorry, Jindrax, but the rangers need my help.' she thought, hoping that by some miracle, he would hear it.
She turned to the rangers.
"Let's go."
Screams, and terrified people running past greeted them as they all materialized in the heart of Blue Bay Harbor's business district.
Villyana smirked as she caught sight of the rangers .
"About time. " she said to herself as they blocked her path.
"Oh ... so you didn't die after all. " she said, her tone dripping with sarcastic, false concern as Toxica stepped in front of the rangers.
"Nor did you." replied, her tongue was pure acid as she summoned her staff, which now, instead of black, was now a brilliant golden color with a white pearl in the center.
Villyana summoned her scepter and pointed the tip at Toxica.
"Last time I went easy on you ... THIS TIME I won't, this time I will kill you." She said.
Toxica smirked at her as she twirled her staff deftly in her hands.
"Give it your best shot."
"And YOU, rangers will have to deal with me." Vexicus said as he materialized next to Villyana.
Shane cast a worried look at Toxica.
"Don't worry, what is that phrase you humans use? I have this?"
"You got this. " Dustin corrected.
"Yes, that's it, I got this. " she said.
"We'll see about that." Villyana said as she shot a blast of magic at Toxica, who blocked it with a blast of her own with explosive results that blasted both witches back.
They both caught themselves with their magic, with an angry shriek, Villyana streaked towards Toxica, who did the same and soon, they were two blurs of light, one black, one white streaking around the city, pausing only long enough to exchange blows.
Each landed their share of hits until they both landed heavily on their haunches, breathing hard.
Although Toxica tried to hide it, Villyana smirked as she saw the hand that held her staff shaking ever so slightly with fatigue.
"You should make it easier on yourself and just let me kill you, I promise, I will make it quick. But if you choose to fight me, I will make SURE that you suffer." She said as she pointed her scepter at Toxica.
"We can handle this guy, you two go help her!" Shane said to hunter and Blake.
"No!" Toxica shrieked as she saw them rushing to her aid.
"This is my fight! You mustn't interfere!"
"But ..." Blake began
"I said no!" She said as she used her magic to block them.
Unfortunately for her, Villyana took advantage of her distraction. She summoned her most powerful spell, which Toxica knew she had no time to protect herself against.
'Forgive me.' She thought, hoping that somehow, Jindrax would hear it.
She screwed her eyes shut, but suddenly, a bright flash so bright that it blinded all of them descended onto the battlefield.
Villyana let out a demonic hiss, as her spell was blasted back at her and she was forced to dodge it.
The white light gradually ebbed away, Toxica slowly lowered her hand from her eyes and her breath caught in her throat.
Before her stood a creature that she could only describe as magnificent.
"J ... Jindrax?!" She sputtered in disbelief.
Instead of being a multitude of vibrant colors, his body and armor were now a brilliant white. His eyes, which had formally glowed a reddish yellow were now a brilliant blue. His face was just as she remembered it, only the markings below his left eye now matched his eyes.
"Jindrax!" She said again as she threw her arms around his neck.
He grinned as he returned her embrace.
"I missed you, too." He said as he buried his face in the valley between her neck and shoulder.
She grabbed the front of his armor and pulled him into a passionate kiss.
Jindrax eagerly returned her kiss with an equally passionate one of his own.
She promptly smacked him upside the head.
"Hey ... ow! What in the hell did you do that for?!" He whined.
"You were gone for an eternity! Do you have any idea what that was like for me?!" She chastised him.
"Whadda you mean? I wasn't gone more than a day!" He whined as he gingerly rubbed his head where she had hit him.
"Naw man, you were gone for like... over two weeks!" Dustin interjected.
Toxica growled seethingly at him.
"I want to blast you, and I want to kiss you all at the same time. " She said.
His face slowly spread into a wide grin.
"Well ... obviously I'd prefer it if you kissed me." He quipped.
"Enough!" Villyana's voice cracked into their moment like a whip.
Jindrax glanced at Toxica, a smirk playing about his mouth.
"Lets take care of this witch together." He said as he drew his sword
She smiled as she readied her staff.
"Together. " she echoed as they turned to face the alien sorceress.
"I'll destroy you both!" She roared as she streaked towards them.
They shot a combined blast at her and she promptly exploded in a vibrant burst of bright red light.
Vexicus, seeing this, wisely chose to retreat before he was destroyed, too.
All the rangers demorphed and ran up to Toxica and Jindrax.
"Wow that was awesome!" Shane said.
"I say we celebrate! Party at ninja OPS, who's game?" Dustin said.
"I am!" Hunter said.
"Me, too!" Shane said.
"Actually... I can't ... I have this... thing." Blake said.
"Yeah ... I have something going on, too." Tori said as she and Blake shared a quick glance.
Hunter gave his brother a peculiar look.
"What do you mean? You don't... Ohhh." He said as he suddenly remembered Blake telling him earlier that he was taking Tori out on a date.
"Uh ... yeah ... yeah! He's got this... thing, I forgot." Hunter quickly recovered.
"Okay ...?" Shane said as he eyed them strangely.
Blake and Tori avoided making eye contact with one another and attempted to feign being casual, but their reddening faces betrayed them.
"What about you guys? You know you're welcome too." Shane said to Toxica and Jindrax.
"No thanks, we got other plans." He said with a conspiratorial wink as he slipped his arm around Toxica's waist.
"Jindrax! They don't need to know our private affairs!" She chastised him.
He shrugged innocently.
"What? It's no secret that I love you. " he replied
"Not THAT our ... you know... PRIVATE... activities. " she said, lowering her voice as a blush tinged her cheeks.
The rangers did their best to stifle their laughter and hide their grins as they watched the pair lovingly bicker.
"I hope we can be like that some day." Blake whispered into Tori's ear.
"I think we already are." She replied as she turned to smile at him.
"I wish I could kiss you right now." He hissed sensually into her ear as his arm snaked around her waist.
Unbeknownst to their fellow rangers, save for Hunter, Blake and Tori had been dating for several weeks now, they could barely keep their hands off one another. It was becoming harder and harder for them to remain professional when performing their ranger, or their ninja duties.
Tori had a feeling that her surrogate brothers had an idea that there was something between her and Blake, but neither one of them were quite ready for their fellow rangers to know the true nature of their relationship quite yet.
"Let's go. " she deadpanned as they took advantage of the distraction that Toxica and Jindrax provided and snuck off to her van.
They both slid in, laughing.
Suddenly Blake leaned across and captured her lips in a lingering, sensual kiss that lasted until their lungs screamed for air.
He pulled back just enough to look into her brilliant blue eyes.
"There, NOW we can go." He said as he sat back in his seat.
Tori however leaned back across and kissed him heatedly.
Overcoming his momentary surprise, Blake returned her kiss with an equally passionate one of his own as their tongues dueled for supremacy.
They finally parted.
Blake rested his forehead against hers.
"Okay ... wow!" He breathed as he grinned at her.
Tori turned the engine over and threw the van into drive.
"Where are we going?" Blake asked
Like it mattered, as long as he was with her.
"Somewhere we can be alone. " she replied.
"Well ... it's been fun." Jindrax said waving goodbye to the rangers before yanking Toxica into his arms and kissing her as they disappeared in a crackle of magic.
They materialized in their favorite cave on the beach and he immediately grabbed her hands in his.
They both gasped as their magic melded almost instantly, like it was meant to mix together. Only this time, instead of feeling the magic push against them, they felt it pulling them together.
"Oh ... baby ...!" He cried out as wave after wave of pleasure washed over them.
It finally ebbed away, leaving them feeling euphoric.
Jindrax's limbs felt like jelly and he collapsed into a sitting position on the cave floor, cursing in his old Org language.
She joined him on the floor.
"Wow ...!" She echoed his usual sentiment.
"That was ... that was ..." he trailed off.
"AMAZING!" She finished for him as she leaned against him.
"Forever." He said as he stroked her silky hair.
"Forever. " she replied.