Chapter 6: I'm Not Perfect, And That Makes Me Different.

Anya opened her reluctant eyes. Her body ached horribly, she was surprised she could even open her eyes. Letting her eyes get adjusted to the light coming from her balcony window, she felt realization kick in.

She was home! In her own room! Everything was real, they had saved her! She yawned, looking around her room. In her purple fuzzy mushroom chair sat Mia, reading one of Anya's many books. A bark alarmed her. Anya felt something cold pushing at her face. Anya laughed, sticking her hand out the side of the comforter to pet Terra.

"Morning." Mia said, closing the book and walking over to her. Anya smiled, sitting up with difficulty as her body protested. Terra whined. Anya patted the bed, allowing the dog to jump up on the bed and lie down beside her. Anya scratched the dog behind the ears. Anya reached up to the cut under her eyes, realizing it had been taped together to heal. Her upper left arm had been bandaged also. She sighed.

"You okay?" Mia asked as she watched Anya drag her hand up and down her bare arm. Anya looked at her. Slowly a smile crept across her face.

"I've been better." She said. Mia laughed, looking at her. Anya noticed she was wearing her pink and purple capri sleep pants, and a purple tank top.

"Emily and I got you out of the others. We knew you wouldn't be comfortable in them anymore. They were covered in who knows what. Master Ji says you're okay." Mia explained.

"Where's Jayden?" Anya asked quickly. Mia looked at her.

"We've been taking watch over you for the past couple of hours, to make sure you were okay. Jayden's outside, practicing. I can go get him." She offered, but Anya was already ripping the covers off of herself. Mia watched as she shakily put her bare feet on the cold wood floor. She sighed, then pushed off. Her body protested, but let her get up with a wave of nausea.

"I wanna go see him. Stay here please." She asked, as she made the way to her door. Mia just watched as she walked out of the room, intent on seeing Jayden.

Anya stumbled out to the sparring mats. She smiled, leaning against the doorway. Jayden was sitting on the mats, meditating.

"You'll never get any peace out here with the others." She called. Jayden's eyes snapped open, and he turned around to see her standing there. Her arms across her stomach, leaning against the door. Jayden jumped up, walking over a little ways. He smiled, then took a step forward, as Anya flung herself into his arms. Her arms tightened around his neck as his did around her waist. She buried her face into his shoulder, inhaling his scent. Jayden put one hand on the back of her head, his face in her hair.

"I'm glad you're okay." He breathed, closing his eyes.

"I'm glad you saved me." She said, laughing a little. Jayden smiled. They didn't even notice the rangers watching them. Jayden in his training uniform and Anya in her pjs. It was a funny sight. Anya coughed, and Jayden pulled back.

"You okay?" Anya nodded.

"Just tired. I'm going back to bed." She said, reluctantly pulling back. Jayden looked at her.

"We're going to be taking turns watching you over the next few days to make sure you don't need anything alright?" He said, looking into her eyes. She nodded, hugging him again. Jayden smiled as Mia came out. She grinned, seeing them together.

"Now if only they'll kiss." Emily added as she walked over to Mia. Mia giggled, then cleared her throat. Anya pulled from him, looking at Mia. She giggled, looking at Jayden one more time, before walking back over to Mia and back to her room.

…..Days Later…..

Anya sat in her cocoon of covers. Terra was sleeping beside her as she flipped through her spell book. She had no powers, and she was trying to find something that would help her bring them back. She didn't want to be helpless forever. She knew Master Xandred would be back, and she wanted to help them out if something happened.

"Ugh!" She yelled, closing her book and shoving it to the side. She fell across the stuffed dog Jayden won her.

"What am I going to do Terra? I can't be like this forever." She said. Terra whined. Anya sighed, getting out of her bed. She changed into a black skirt and a purple thin long sleeve shirt. She threw her converses on and headed to the outside.

In the computer room, Master Ji was talking to the rangers alone.

"I know you all are worried about Anya. But I don't know if she will ever get her powers back. " He explained. Anya stopped, hearing her name. She hid by the wall, eavesdropping.

"You mean Anya won't be a Samurai ranger anymore?" Emily asked.

"Was she ever one in the first place? She was only a sorceress." Kevin said in pity. Anya sucked in a breath.

"We can't risk her here when she can't help us." Master Ji told them. So it was true. She was worthless now. She looked at her shoulders, at the element tattoos in her skin. She listened again.

"But she'll always be one of us." Jayden's voice rang through. She smiled, playing with her necklace.

"But not like this Jayden. She'll be helpless without us." Mike said in defeat over his cousin. Anya looked down. Her throat closed up as tears threatened to fall. Slowly and quietly, she walked away from the room, then ran down the hall desperate to get out.

….Park….

Anya stood on the bridge over the lake. Her heart was torn. They didn't want her in the team. She would just get in the way. Why was she even still on the team?

She pulled out her morphers, looking at them. Her heart opened up again. A gaping wound in her chest. She sighed. She wasn't perfect, nor would she ever be. She never thought she would ever sing again. But it came out.

Made a wrong turn, once or twice
Dug my way out, blood and fire
Bad decisions, that's alright
Welcome to my silly life

Anya sighed, pushing back from the bridge and walking.

Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood
Miss 'No way, it's all good', it didn't slow me down
Mistaken, always second guessing, underestimated
Look, I'm still around

Pretty pretty please, don't you ever ever feel
Like you're less than f*ckin' perfect
Pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel like you're nothing
You're f*ckin' perfect to me!

Anya walked through the park. No one listened to her as she sung. It was common for her, and she was quiet, even though she was about to cry.

You're so mean, when you talk about yourself, you were wrong
Change the voices in your head, make them like you instead
So complicated, look happy, you'll make it!
Filled with so much hatred...such a tired game
It's enough! I've done all I can think of
Chased down all my demons, I've seen you do the same

Oh, pretty pretty please, don't you ever ever feel
Like you're less than f*ckin' perfect
Pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel like you're nothing
You're f*ckin' perfect to me

Yeah, oh, oh baby, pretty baby..!
Pretty pretty please, don't you ever ever feel
Like you're less than f*ckin' perfect
Pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel
Like you're nothing, you're f*cking perfect to me
You're perfect, you're perfect!
Pretty pretty please, don't you ever ever feel
Like you're less than f*ckin' perfect
Pretty please, if you ever feel like you're nothing
You are perfect to me...

Anya sighed, crossing her arms and leaning against the tree. Her heart thundered in her chest. She was never perfect, and to them it wasn't enough.

Jayden jogged through the park, looking for Anya. He knew she was out here, and he didn't trust the darkness just yet. She could get hurt. Pushing his hair from his face, he looked around and finally found her. She was sitting on the rocks of the lake, flicking pebbles into it. People were leaving the park now, so she was alone. Jayden slowly walked up to her, and noticed she was listening to her ipod on the rocks, the volume turned up loud so she could hear it. She rubbed her eyes, looking at the lake. Her hair blew around her face, the sun illuminating her skin. She was positively radiant. He sighed. Jayden heard the song coming from her ipod. He sighed, and remembered the times when he used to sing with his guitar.

"If I traded it all, If I gave it all away for one thing, Just for one thing, If I sorted it out, If I knew all about this one thing, Wouldn't that be something?" He sang. Anya's head shot up. She looked at Jayden as he sat down beside her on another rock. Anya then joined him on the second verse.

"I promise I might, Not walk on by, Maybe next time, But not this time. Even though I know, I don't want to know. Yeah I guess I know, I just hate how it sounds." They both stopped, looking at each other. Jayden's brown eyes looking at Anya's green eyes. Then Anya broke. Standing up, she jumped from the rocks and began to walk.

"Anya!" Jayden called, following her. He caught up to her. Her arms were crossed in front of her and she was hiding her face. Jayden grabbed her shoulders, and tilted her chin up to look at him. Her eyes were tear filled.

"Anya. What's wrong?" He asked. Anya sniffled, looking away.

"Anya." He said sternly. Anya looked at him.

"I'm not perfect." She said softly. Jayden was confused.

"No one was ever perfect. . ." He started.

"No Jayden. I'm not perfect! I don't have my samurai powers anymore! You don't need me anymore!" She exclaimed, pulling away from him and starting to jog away. Jayden ran after her.

"Who said we don't need you anymore. Anya whether you like it or not you're a part of this team." He told her, worry in his eyes. She shook her head.

"What's the use of a helpless sorceress? I'll just get in the way!" She told him.

"Xandred's already after me now. I don't need to bring him to you guys and get you guys hurt." She explained. Jayden shook his head.

"That's why you need to protect you. . ."

"No you don't Jayden! Whether you like it or not, I'm no help anymore. I won't ever be useful anymore!" She exclaimed, before tearing away from him, running away. Jayden sighed. That was it? She gave up on him? Jayden watched her until she tripped, falling to the sidewalk. Jayden ran up to her, helping her up.

"See? My clumsiness has come back." She said, limping on her right leg to the bench. Jayden looked at her skinned knee, blood pouring from it. He sighed. He pulled out his samuraizer and a first aid kit appeared. He laughed, but she didn't, and he quieted down. He pulled out a rag and used the water fountain to get it wet. He then wiped the blood from her knee, before grabbing a bandage and putting it on.

"See? I can't even take care of myself." She cried. Jayden sighed, rubbing his forehead. How could he make her feel better? She sighed, looking away. Jayden pushed her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. She sighed, even though she loved the feel of his touch.

"Anya. You are everything even if you don't have your powers anymore." He told her.

"But what's the point? If I can't help you guys. I shouldn't be a part of the team." She said, looking at him. Jayden frowned. He took her hands in his.

"You are more than anything to this team. No matter what. You have a chance with us forever and ever." He said. She looked at their hands, then up at him.

"It's just too hard." She whispered. Jayden touched her cheek, smiling.

"That's the best part." He said, smiling, before leaning close.

"Xandred was right about you two. Always love birds. No matter." A gruff voice spoke, then Jayden and Anya were blasted backwards. Jayden's arms tightened around Anya as they landed, but they were uninjured. In front of them was a vulture looking nighlok with wings.

"Anya. Get out of here, get to safety." Jayden commanded, helping her up. Anya looked at him, before taking off. She hid behind a couple of trees, watching as Jayden transformed. She sighed. She would never be like them again. She watched the battle as the other rangers joined in.

Jayden was tossed through the air, suddenly demorphing while the others fought. The monster, called Wither Wings, walked over as Jayden tried to get up. He stepped on Jayden's knee. Jayden cried out, not able to get up. Wither Wings put the point of his staff at Jayden's throat.

"Once I'm done destroying you and your rangers. I'll take that pretty little sorceress for myself. Say goodbye to your sweet-heart, and your life Red Ranger." Wither Wings growled, laughing. The rangers were trying to get to him, calling over and over again. Jayden closed his eyes.

"Stop!" Jayden's eyes shot open as Wither Wings stepped away from him. He turned to see Anya standing there, no fear in her eyes at all.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" He asked. Anya broke through him and dropped down to Jayden's side. She picked him up, laying his head on her arm. She brushed his hair back from his face, smiling. Jayden smiled. Her hand lingered on his arm, not wanting to lose his touch, lose him. She turned to look at Wither Wings.

"You want me? Don't hurt them. . .and. .. I'll come, peacefully." She told him. Wither Wings was happy, but Jayden and the team weren't.

"What are you doing?" Mike yelled.

"You can't do this." Emily added.

"Anya. I won't let you go." Jayden told her, sitting up. Anya shook her head, getting up and ignoring him.

"Alright?" She seethed.

"Very well. Let's go." He said.

"I want to tell them goodbye." She said. Wither Wings sighed.

"Fine." He said, moving away with two of the Moogers. Anya sighed as they demorphed.

"Are you crazy? Anya who knows what they want to do with you!" Kevin exclaimed. Anya nodded.

"I'm no use to you guys anymore anyway. If it keeps you safe, I'll do it." She told them. Mike sighed.

"You know what you're doing right?" He asked. Anya laughed, nodding. She hugged onto Mike tightly, before letting go. She walked over to Mia.

"Keep up with the cooking Mia." She said. Mia nodded, hugging her tightly. Emily sniffled, latching onto Anya.

"It'll be okay Emily. I'll come back, I promise." She whispered. Emily sobbed. Mike walked over, pulling Emily away and letting her cry into his shoulder. Anya walked over to Kevin.

"You're strong, but don't let your concentration keep you from having fun." She told him. Kevin nodded.

"I'm gonna miss you." He said, hugging her. She smiled, pulling back, before walking over to Jayden.

"Jayden. Please." She begged. He turned around.

"How could you hand yourself over to him. He's no good Anya!" He yelled. Anya backed up, before gathering her courage.

"Jayden. You would've done the same thing." She said. Jayden sighed.

"I'll be back in one piece I promise." She told him. Jayden didn't want to believe it, but he hugged her tightly, not wanting to let her go. She didn't want him to let her go either. She held back a sob, burying her face in his shoulder, before pulling back. She pulled her leather string with the purple orb hanging from a clawed hand necklace from her neck and put it around his.

"To keep me with you." She said softly. As Jayden was looking at it, She kissed him on the cheek.

"Time to go princess." Wither Wings called. Anya walked over to him. She waved to the others, before disappearing.

Finally! Hope you like it, Songs are F*cking Perfect by Pink and One Thing by Finger Eleven