Wild Force Power Rangers: Ancient Warrior Saga

Episode 37 (A) Fishing for a Friend

A full day had passed since the Wild Force Rangers had defeated Onikage but had been unable to stop Master Org from kidnapping Princess Shayla. The Rangers had awoken with the sunrise. Having been so used to hearing the Princess sing to greet the day, they now found the Animarium uncomfortably still. They were briskly dressed and gathered in the Temple, and although they had pooled their existing information that they had about the Orgs, they still had no clue where their evil hideout, the Nexus, could possibly be located.

The longer Lila was forced to sit at the table with the others pouring over and over about plans they didn't have, or courses of action they weren't sure to take, the more she came to realize that their position was not going to change. It would be their enemy that would have to do that for them. She knew they had no more moves and were now dependent on the Orgs making an appearance, or even instigating an attack on the city. She was sure that only then would they have something to go off and be able to take more steps towards finding Princess Shayla, and stopping Master Org before he could cause any more turmoil. Their hands tied, the Rangers had nothing to do now but watch the sacred pond and for once, hope that it sprayed to alert them of an Org in Turtle Cove.

It was like pulling teeth to sit in silence, just waiting for anything to happen. The thought occurred to Lila that their Silver Ranger hadn't shown up at all that morning. He was off at the Roadhouse probably playing pool and working with Willie- which to her, sounded like a much better use of her time than wasting it stressing over a pond. With the excuse that she was going to check up on Merrick, Lila excused herself from the Animarium and made her way to the Roadhouse in the woods, eager to finish painting job for Willie, but eager more to relieve her mindset. She didn't want to mope anymore, she wanted to work too.

In downtown Turtle Cove there was an abandoned store front, closed temporarily due to damage from a recent monster attack. Coming across it, Jindrax felt it was both safe and appropriate to hide out in. Considering an Org had already done a number on it, he figured having one camping out inside it wouldn't make much of a difference. He was clutching Toxica's mirror, still keeping it and her dismembered horn safe with him.

He sighed loudly to himself, "now what am I going to do? If Master Org ever finds me, I'm history."

There really was nowhere left for Jindrax to turn, every time he had put his faith in his fellow Orgs, he had been severely let down, betrayed, or even had his life threatened. He couldn't shake off the feeling that it wasn't meant to be this way. He always thought he had known who the true enemies were but now, he was not so sure.

"I wish Toxica was here," a loud rattling close by made him jump and sent his heart racing, "huh? Who's there?? 

A black cat sprinted from around some boxes and over his lap, making him yelp.

"Ahh! Oh, just a cat. Oh, Toxica, if you were still here, I wouldn't be so afraid," he groaned, his head hanging low. He wondered offhandedly if he could find that stray cat again, maybe convince it to come back and be his only friend.

"Jindrax... Jindrax! can you hear me?"

A soft, otherworldly sound was calling out to him. He looked around wildly, knowing that voice anywhere. "Toxica?!" he held up the mirror to see it rippling like the surface of water. As it settled, he saw her. Toxica's face was inside the mirror, staring back at him and speaking. There was a film of wavering smoke over her image, as if she were fading in and out of existence.

"Toxica, is it really you?" he was amazed he could actually talk to her, "I can't believe it! Where are you?!"

"I'm here in the Spirit World. I saw the Rangers get stuck in here, but I couldn't follow them out. Please, Jindrax, you're the only one who can help me," she was pleading to him, and the look and her face read to Jindrax as fright. He had to help her.