Disclaimer: I forgot to put this in before. I don't own them. I don't know who does, and I don't much care. I'm having fun. (Or I would be if I was getting reviews. Come on, people!)

Unexpected Ally Chapter 3: Reunions

This really isn't my fault.

Tara was on a high level walkway, overlooking the Ranger's fight. Kite, she noticed, had a similar position almost opposite her.

"Cole!" Alyssa called. "Kite's over there." She gestured to the walkway.

"I told him…" Cole's words were cut off as he had to duck the Org's blast.

"That's not all." Max added, pointing to the other side.

"That's Tara!" Cole said.

"Who's Tara?" Max asked; he had to dodge before Cole could answer.

Kite was looking straight across at Tara, practically ignoring the fight below.

"I don't know what you want. I can't help." Tara muttered. He leaned against the rail, staring at her. "I can't. I can't do that here." Sighing, she turned to look back over the rail. "But, if I have to…"

Below, Cole tilted his head slightly. "Guys! Red Lion wants us to keep him still for a minute."

"Why?" Taylor asked.

"He doesn't say. Just that it's important." He glanced at Merrick. "Ready?" The Wolf Ranger nodded, and together the pair attacked the Org, forcing him back and off-balance. Max and Danny grabbed his arms, pinning him, and Alyssa and Taylor whipped his legs out from beneath him, knocking him flat on his back.

Almost instantly the ground beneath him liquefied and he sank. When the ground met again over his legs it re-solidified, capturing him neatly.

"What just happened?" Max asked.

"Figure it out later." Taylor advised. "Let's finish him while he's down!"

It didn't take very long, of course; pinned down, the Org couldn't move or respond to their fire, and Toxica didn't show up to revive him. With the Org destroyed, the Rangers powered down.

"Cole?" Kite was above them, almost opposite where he'd been during the fight.

"Kite!" Cole headed for the steps, followed by Merrick and the other Rangers. Kite was gone when they reached the pathway, but Tara was still there—unconscious, lying on the bench.

"Tara!" Cole knelt beside her, quickly looking her over. She didn't appear hurt.

"This is your friend?" Merrick asked; his voice was oddly thick.

"Yes."

"What's wrong, Merrick?" Alyssa asked.

"Bring her to the Animarium." Merrick said, turning away.

"What?" Cole stood. "Merrick, why…"

"Just bring her!"

Shayla didn't seem surprised when they arrived. She just led them to a room and, after shooing Cole out, examined Tara carefully.

"She's not hurt." she said, when she reappeared. "Just exhausted. She'll wake up soon."

"Who is she, Merrick?" Cole asked, turning to Merrick. Merrick shifted and looked around the group.

"She's…someone I wasn't expecting to see again." He shook his head when Cole would have gone on. "Not now, Cole."

"When?" Cole asked.

"When she's awake and can speak for herself." He turned to Shayla. "I have to go."

"We'll call you when she wakes up." Shayla promised. Merrick nodded and headed into the trees.

"Do you know who she is?" Danny asked Shayla.

"No. I don't think I've ever seen her before." Shayla answered.

"Merrick sure has." Max muttered.

Cole was talking quietly with Shayla later that evening when Tara woke.

"Call Merrick." Shayla said softly to Cole. Tara turned towards the sound, although she was still partly asleep and wasn't sure where she was. "Good evening, Tara."

"Hi." Tara murmured, scrubbing her face with one hand.

"How do you feel?"

"Confused." Cole appeared behind Shayla in time to hear that.

"Merrick's on his way." he murmured, then, louder, "Tara?"

"Cole." She sat upright. "And…Princess Shayla." She bowed her head a little. "It's nice to see you again."

"Thank you." Shayla replied uncertainly. "Do I know you?"

"No, Princess. Your man does, though."

"My…man?"

"Merrick. I saw him today. Was it today, Cole?"

"What?"

"The fight. Merrick's still the Wolf Ranger, I recognised his style. Was the fight today?"

"Earlier." Cole agreed. Tara frowned.

"Where are we? We're not in Turtle Cove."

"We," Merrick said tightly from behind Cole, "are on the Animarium. All that remains of Animaria."

"Merrick." Tara said. "It's good to see you."

"I cannot say the same, nor do I wish to." Merrick answered.

"Merrick!" Shayla said. For once Merrick ignored her, still focused on Tara.

"Tara. This is your name now?"

"It serves as well as any."

"It's not what you used the last time we met."

"You've had a different name between times as well, Merrick." She cocked her head to one side. "Or had you forgotten that?"

"That is not the same." Merrick said through his teeth.

"Merrick…" Cole slid between the two of them. "Want to tell us what's going on?"

"That girl," Merrick pointed accusingly, "was in Animaria during the final battle. She could have helped prevent it, but instead she watched as our people fell." Tara rose to her feet.

Cole was shaking his head. "Merrick, how is that…"

"I am here, am I not?" Merrick cut him off. "The Princess is here. She is not of Animaria, but she was there."

"I did what I could, Merrick." Tara said quietly. "I couldn't save Animaria. I couldn't have done it." Merrick moved around Cole and took a step forward, staring at her.

"You melted the ground this morning. I know you could do much more than that, if you tried. And you say you couldn't help?"

"I didn't say I couldn't help. Just that I couldn't keep Animaria standing. And I couldn't. Animaria was doomed to fall."

Merrick hit her.

Tara didn't react except to turn her head with the blow; an instant later Cole was in between them.

"Merrick, stop it!" Shayla ordered, tugging on his arm. Cole stared him down until he moved back, then he turned to Tara.

"Are you all right?"

"I've taken worse." She lifted her head, shaking back her hair. "He has a right."

"No he doesn't." Cole said firmly. "Whatever's between you two, he has no right to hit you." Tara looked over his shoulder at Merrick.

"I am sorry." she said softly. Merrick snorted and turned, leaving the room. Shayla looked helplessly after him. "He hurts for Animaria. I know how that feels. Go after him, Princess. Don't let him leave like that." Cole turned back to Tara as Shayla left.

"Show me." He urged her face up.

"It's just a bruise, Cole. I'll live."

"Let me see." he said firmly. "I'll get some stuff to put on it."

"It doesn't need…" Cole cut her off.

"I'll get the stuff for it."

Tara acquiesced reluctantly.