Author's note: And so comes the end of Clearing Vision. Don't worry, though; the next interlude will be along shortly…
Nazor, thanks for the review; keep writing, I want to see what happens next.
Dominic, my most faithful follow…I mean reviewer; thanks. Enjoy, there's a little hint of Alyssa/Cole. But don't worry; I'm a total 'shipper, which you'll se as the arc progresses.
Anyone else; review!
Just like last time, there's smarm in the ending here.
6 Repercussions
"I'm going to start thinking you're avoiding me."
Three days had passed since Laserorg's destruction. Merrick had kept in touch with the Rangers just enough to know that both Alyssa and Taylor were all right. None of them had seen Tara since that evening, or heard from her.
Merrick looked up from the woodpile. "Tara." He stuck the axe into the stand and straightened. "Something wrong?"
"No. Just…checking."
"Checking what?"
"Checking you." She wandered away from the woodpile. "Cole says they haven't seen you since Laserorg went down."
"There's been no battles. No need." Tara nodded.
"So you're ok?"
"Yes."
"That's good." Nodding again, she turned away. "No…after effects?"
Merrick picked his words carefully. "They faded."
"There were after effects. Damnit!" Looking up at him, she added, "Alyssa wouldn't tell me."
"They faded. We're all right." Tara shook her head.
"They shouldn't have happened. What happened?"
"Just…flashes, of the world as you showed us."
"Damnit!" She shoved at the axe-handle, frustrated.
"Tara." Merrick caught her hand, holding her still. "We're fine. Why are you so upset?"
"Those flashes were you seeing through me. The link didn't shut down properly."
"But they've stopped now." She stilled suddenly, staring at him.
"Have they really?"
"Yes. They stopped by that evening."
"For Alyssa as well?"
"I don't know. She slept most of that time."
"Good." She relaxed, twisting out of his grip. "Good. That's ok then."
"Are you all right?"
"Yes. There's a flash flood in Africa. It's making me edgy. Don't worry about it. Working tonight?"
"No."
"Come to the Animarium."
"Do the Rangers know you keep inviting me?" Tara shrugged.
"I'm pretty sure they…don't. Does it matter? You know you're welcome up there. More welcome than me."
"You are perfectly welcome." He unslung the axe again.
"Let me." Tara knelt beside the woodpile and began tapping each piece of wood. Each one she touched fell neatly in two halves.
"I thought you couldn't do that once the wood was cut."
"Nonsense. Besides, this wood's still green. It's practically fresh off the trees." She looked up. Under her hands, the wood started steaming as she drove the moisture out of it. "Don't think I didn't notice you avoiding the invitation. Do you have a problem with the Rangers?"
"Nooo…"
"With the Princess?"
"No!" His answer was almost instantaneous this time.
Tara nodded. "Well, I'm done pushing. Please come…we'd like you to." And with that she rose to her feet and walked away.
"She can push, can't she." Taylor observed from some distance away.
"Taylor." Merrick said in some surprise.
"You need a better hiding place, Merrick. Too many people know this one." Merrick suddenly frowned, looking after Tara. "What's wrong?"
"She didn't call me by name. Not once."
"It's unusual for her. Does it mean something?"
"I'm not sure."
"Why is it so foggy?" Taylor asked suddenly.
"Tara was drying the wood." He looked around; the steam was dissipating, but he hadn't even noticed it until Tara had left; he wondered for a second if she'd been repressing it. It would have been unlike her; she didn't like using wind, and avoiding it when she could. But she doesn't like using water or fire either, he reminded himself. I don't think I've ever seen her use fire, in fact…
"Merrick." Taylor was looking at him oddly. "You OK?"
"Fine." He shook his head slightly. "Fine. Did…" He turned back to look at her. "How are you?"
"Perfectly fine. And I wish people would stop asking me that. I practically had to tackle Cole to even get off the Animarium."
"They worry." Merrick said shortly, turning to gather up the wood Tara had split for him.
"Yeah, I guess. Want a hand?"
"No, thank you."
"She's right, you know."
"Tara?"
"You should come up more often." Merrick sighed.
"I don't enjoy being on the Animarium. It's a reminder of what I've lost."
"Then think of it as a reminder of what you've found. Look, Merrick. We all know you miss Animaria and the other Ancient Warriors, but this is now. You've got to…"
"What? Forget them?"
"Of course not forget them. Just…learn to live."
"What?"
"This…" she gestured around. "This is only existing. Living's harder. And you've forgotten how. Good first step? Acknowledging your friends." She turned away. "We'll be there. When you're ready."
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The party that evening barely deserved the name. Tara was subdued and barely seemed to realise where she was; Alyssa, still recovering, was jumpy; Taylor was too loud, trying to make up for them. Danny gave up early and went to bed. Max sat at the table alone. Cole was perched halfway up a tree, watching all of them, and Shayla had gone back into the fountain early on.
"Tara." Alyssa said suddenly.
"Hmm?"
"How did you know Taylor was concussed?"
"Oh…I was tracking the iron in her blood."
"The what?" Taylor asked.
"Iron. Natural element, you know? I can't usually do anything much with it, but I can track it, if I concentrate hard enough."
"Handy." Max said quietly.
"Yeah. It's all right." She fell into silence again.
"I haven't been missing much, then." Merrick's voice came from the trees.
"Not tonight, no." Tara didn't look up. "Usually we're a barrel of laughs."
"A barrel…?" He shook his head. "Never mind. What's wrong tonight?" He looked at Cole, who shrugged helplessly.
"We're all just a little off, Ok?" Tara said. She still hadn't looked up. "Alyssa's still tired, Taylor still has a headache…we're fine."
"You're not fine." Merrick hunkered beside her.
"And of course, you are the expert on me." She pushed away from him.
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to. I'm fine, all right? Just let me deal with this."
"With what?" Cole asked. Tara finally looked up.
"Everything. Earth. I haven't been paying attention like I should, and it's catching up. Just let me alone for a while."
"{Who am I?}" Merrick asked in Animarian.
"{Merrick.}" she answered promptly. "{Did you think I'd forgotten?}"
"{You haven't said it.}"
"{Because I know who you are now. I don't need to keep saying it.}" She studied him for a minute. "{Do you want me to?}"
"{You're…it's unusual for you not to.}" She shrugged.
"I guess. Cole, I need to go back to Earth, please." Cole nodded and she looked around at the others. "I'll talk to you soon. Goodbye, Merrick."
"See you later, Tara." Max said softly. The pair left and Merrick straightened, looking around.
"So what is wrong?"
"I guess we're just kind of off, like Tara said." Alyssa said apologetically. "Have you seen…like…"
"No. Not since that night. Have you?"
"No. I kind of miss it."
"Seen like what?" Max asked.
"During the fight. Tara let us see…I guess through the earth. We could see all of you, but the colours were really weird…" Alyssa trailed off.
"Weird how?" Taylor asked.
"Just…weird. Odd. And our perceptions…does she see that way always, Merrick?"
"Not as far as I know. Mostly I think she sees like us, or a little better." Merrick looked away. "I have seen like that only once before."
"When?" Max asked.
"Before Animaria fell." He moved away from the table, towards the fountain, stopping just short of walking into the Princess who'd just appeared. "Princess Shayla."
"Merrick!" she said in surprise. "I didn't expect you."
"Tara invited me." Shayla looked around.
"Where is Tara?"
"She left." Danny said. "She said she had to sort out some things." Cole arrived back in time to hear that.
"Tara says she's sorry she had to leave, but if we want she's throwing us a party on Friday. Unless we have an attack."
"Sounds like fun." Alyssa said cautiously, looking around.
"She invited you as well, Princess. And Merrick." Cole said.
"I have to work on Friday." Merrick said automatically. Cole shrugged.
"Max, do you have marshmallows?" Taylor asked suddenly.
"Taylor!" Alyssa said. "I thought you hated marshmallows."
"I love marshmallows. Especially cooked marshmallows."
"What's a marshmallow?" Merrick asked Princess Shayla.
"It's a kind of sweet. Max, do you have any?"
"Sure. I'll go get them." He returned a minute later with Danny in tow.
"I thought you were asleep." Alyssa said, sitting down beside the fire.
"I was until Max fell on me." Danny sat next to her, immediately lying down and staring into the fire.
"You fell on him?" Cole repeated, coming to sit on Alyssa's other side. Alyssa leaned against him, and he shifted slightly to take her weight. Since her vision had come back, Alyssa had been more tactile then usual with her teammates.
"It was dark, I couldn't see where I was going." Max protested, leaning comfortably against Danny.
"But you found the marshmallows." Taylor pointed out, sitting cross-legged beside him.
"I knew where they were."
"And you didn't know where Danny was?"
"Do you guys want marshmallows? Then stop picking on me!"
"We're only teasing, Max." Cole assured him. "Princess Shayla, Merrick, are you coming?"
The two came closer; Taylor stood up again and pulled Shayla's chair into the gap in their ring, and Merrick settled next to it.
"This, Merrick, is a marshmallow." Max told him. "You can eat it just like that, but they taste much better toasted."
"I think I'll take your word for it." Merrick said, watching him wave a toasting stick around.
"They taste good, Merrick. Really." Alyssa said, holding her stick out towards him. Her marshmallow was melting off the end of it.
"I think you overcooked it." Taylor said critically.
"It's fine that way. Merrick, take it before it falls off." Reluctantly, Merrick slid the marshmallow off the stick and ate it.
"It's sticky." he observed after a minute.
"Yup." Cole grinned, handing him a stick. "Here." He stuck a marshmallow on it. "Toast that for yourself."
"Thanks." Merrick said flatly.
"Don't be a party pooper, Merrick." Max said. "Toasting marshmallows is a very important skill."
"Why? Do you expect to be attacked by a Marshmallow Org?"
"Not everything's about fighting, Merrick." Shayla said quietly.
"You're right. Sorry, Max."
"Your marshmallow's on fire." Danny pointed out. Merrick lifted his stick and looked at it.
"Blow it out. They're still good that way." Taylor told him. Merrick held the stick out towards Shayla, who blew it out, but she refused when he offered it to her.
"No, Merrick. Too sweet for me. You have it."
"I'll have it!" Danny plucked it from Merrick's stick.
"Hey!" Eyes narrowed, Merrick pulled the bag towards himself and threw a marshmallow at Danny. "That was mine!"
"Stop throwing them, Merrick! We can't cook them if…yeargh!" Alyssa ducked, scrambling behind Cole who instantly found himself bombarded by Danny.
"Hey! What'd I do?"
"Quit whining." Taylor said lazily. "And don't you dare throw at me, Max, you'll hit the Princess."
"I have very good aim." Max informed her.
"Oh yeah? Kid?"
That was a calculated insult. Max took careful aim, fired…
"Uh…sorry, Merrick." Merrick wiped marshmallow off his face and glared at Max.
"I certainly hope you fire straighter at Orgs, Max."
"I do!" Max protested.
"He's teasing, Max." Alyssa reassured him. "Everyone stop teasing Max, ok?"
"Yeah," Danny piped up unexpectedly. "Let's tease Cole instead."
"Let's not." Cole said. "I have the marshmallows."
"No fair!"
"Are they always this way?" Merrick murmured to Princess Shayla.
"Always. Isn't it wonderful?"
"It is…different." Catching her look, he added, "Not bad different. Just…different."
"Would you go back, Merrick?" Shayla asked quietly. "If you could?"
"Before the war?" At her nod, he frowned. "If I could change it…stop the war…then yes, Princess. But if you mean, would I not put on the mask…I don't know. It did let me defeat Master Org…and it brought me back to you. But if I could stop the war from happening, and bring you back to where you are supposed to be…" He nodded firmly. "In a heartbeat."
"Thank you."
"My pleasure, Highness." He looked back at the Rangers, who were now piling on Cole to try and get the marshmallows. "My pleasure."
