Chapter Two

(Flashback-Merrick's P.O.V.)

I had just been told that I was to be Princess Shayla's Guardian. The others were walking with us, when there was a howl. We told the princess to run, but she seemed to recognize the call of the wolf.

"She's a messenger," she insisted, before taking off and running to where the howls were coming from.

We had no choice but to follow her as best as we could. We stopped when we reached a clearing and there was a surprise waiting there for us.

In the center of the clearing there was a large rock with a girl who looked to be a little older than the princess sitting on it, playing a melody on a flute.

"That's why the wolf was howling. She was singing along with the flute," one of my friends commented.

Princess Shayla seemed to know her as she approached.

"Ana?"

The girl, 'Ana', stopped playing and turned. Her eyes were sharp and had the experience of the world it seemed. Her hair seemed to have the very essence of night caught in it, and it flowed like spun moonbeams over her shoulders as she turned.

"Shayla," she greeted with a nod of her head, brown eyes softening slightly.

"Father chose my Guardian today."

"Who?"

"Merrick Baliton. He has the-"

"Wolf, Alligator, and Hammerhead crystals. You forget that living in the forest, I regularly speak with the Wild Zords, even the Deer," she said, light laughter present, as she tilted her head.

"Princess?" the Walrus Guardian asked, tentatively entering the conversation. "Are we allowed to know her name?"

"Of course. How rude of me. This is my elder sister, Anamalya. She should be the princess, but our father chose me instead. I do not know why."

"It's because of the fact that I am friends with the Wild Zords, not just someone to protect them. That and the fact that I'm more powerful that him even without that detail really gets his goat. When I was old enough, he sent me out here, hoping that the 'real' animals would kill me. He apparently never thought that I'd make friends with them too."

We could only stare in shock at the person who had been sent to death by her own father…

(End Flashback, with Rangers and Shayla)

"So that woman who defeated the Org, that was your sister? For sure? It couldn't be a trick?" Taylor asked.

"Only she had that power. What confuses me is that she did not use the power of the crystals to destroy the Org. I think that she might have been reincarnated, and is only just starting to remember."

"Is that what has Merrick in such a funk?"

"Yes. After he and the others met her, we would often go to hear her play for the animals. Even a Zord that few saw, even in passing, listened to her from a concealed location. All living creatures enjoyed it, especially when she sang. She would play while I sang, or by herself."

"Did Merrick care for her?"

"Yes. They cared for each other. She died during the war, Merrick changed afterwords."

"Well, when someone you care about dies in a war..."

"It was even worse. He held her as she died."

Everyone winced in sympathy. It would be bad enough to know that your significant other had died; it would be even worse to have held that other. Poor Merrick; no wonder he was so closed off.

"What if she hadn't died? I mean, what if she had only been thought to have died to protect those she cared about, to make sure that there was a way to protect the future?" Alyssa asked.

"I do not think that that is possible. We tried to revive her after Merrick had left to grieve. That was when he was sealed as Zen-aku."

"But all things are possible Princess. You only need to believe," a deep voice said from above them.

"Animus. Has she returned?"

"Yes. I ensured that her spirit would not die, but be born within another. It is time her new self was revealed. Merrick must be called," the deep voice of the living Zord said from the sky, before a light appeared, revealing Kite.

"I think I might know where he is, but I'll call him anyway."

(With Merrick in the forest)
'How could she have survived? Why is she back now? Who is she? Is she even still-what is that sound?' Listening a little more closely, he realized that he was hearing a flute. Wondering who would play on the middle of a forest, he decided to investigate.

A few minutes later, he saw the girl, Ana, with her wolf, Zen-ame, sitting in a rock as she wove a melody that seemed to draw some woodland creatures to her feet. He closed his eyes as a wave of pain came. It was emotional, not physical. He remembered how his Lya had been able to do the same thing…even the Zords loved her songs.

"Who's there?" came a voice unexpectedly. He looked up to see Ana standing with her hand in her pocket as she looked his way. He was mesmerized by the fierceness in her eyes. She was like the modern version of his beloved Lya. Oh, how he missed her...

With that thought he stepped from behind the tree and she relaxed slightly. "Who are you?"

"Merrick. I work at Willie's. I was about to deal with those guys when you came in. Thank you for saving me the energy."

"For some reason I feel like I should know you. Then again, I do have the ability to talk to animals. Is that your phone?" she asked as his Luner Caller went off.

"Yeah. See you around. I enjoyed the song."

"Thanks. I just come up wih them. Then I always remember. Later."

As he walked away, he could hear her start to talk to Zen-ame. There was the slight sound of growling as he answered. "Yeah?"

"Merrick, you need to return to the Animarium. Animus has something that he needs to tell all of us," Shayla said.

"I'll be right there."