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Taylor sat down crossed legged at the edge of the cliff. She pulled her eagle crystal out of her pocket and stared down at it. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay," she said to herself. "Remember what Cole said, from the heart."
She focused her eyes more intently on the crystal, pushing the rest of the world to the back of her mind. Taylor kept focusing for what felt like hours, staring at the crystal and trying to hear an echo of her eagle in her heart. The frustration built until she couldn't take it anymore and she broke the stare with a growl. She glared up at the sky.
"This should be easy," she snapped, turning her glare onto the crystal. "You chose me first and activated me first. You come fly with me when I'm doing rounds!"
Her skin felt too tight, so she scrambled to her feet and started pacing. "I know the mission is done," she said to the crystal. "I know the Princess took you up into the sky until you were needed again." Taylor hesitated, pausing at the edge of the cliff to stare up at the clouds.
"I'm not trying to get my powers back," she continued, more softly. "I just..." Taylor sighed heavily and clutched her crystal to her chest. "It's not right that she's all alone now." Her heart twisted. She knew the Wild Zords would always be with the Princess. And that they could choose new guardians well and easily. But Princess Shayla didn't even have the possibility of someone from her time being there for her anymore. Merrick now roamed the Earth, living a mortal life.
"I could be her guardian," Taylor whispered. Her mind drifted back to when she first landed on Animaria. Her joy at discovering her childhood fairy tale was true, the dazzling beauty of Princess Shayla, the feel of a multitude of winds when her crystal first shone at her.
A flash of yellow jarred her out of her thoughts. Taylor looked down at her crystal, which shone brightly. She held it up and felt the winds again. Her eagle cried with joy, streaking overhead. The wind from his flight knocked Taylor back and she stumbled, hearing a familiar rumble from behind her. She turned and laughed, taking in the Animaria grotto.
Taylor walked in slowly, taking it all in. She absently ran her hand along the picnic table when she passed it. Her eagle buzzed over the tree tops, screeching in joy. Taylor smiled at him. "Thank you." She yawned suddenly and blinked in surprise. It was only one o'clock in the afternoon, she shouldn't be at all tired.
"Taylor?"
She looked over as Princess Shayla walked into the grotto and smiled at the surprise on the princess' face. "Princess Shayla," she said warmly.
Princess Shayla looked around in confusion. "I don't understand. There haven't been any Orgs. And, where are the others?"
"Living their lives," said Taylor. She sat down at the table, feeling a bit worn down. She wondered if she'd been meditating at her crystal for longer than she thought. "Moving on. Don't worry, they're happy." She smiled at Princess Shayla.
Princess Shayla gave her a concerned look and sat down beside her. "Shouldn't you be doing the same thing?"
Taylor nodded, enjoying the warmth of Shayla being near. "I am."
Shayla looked even more concerned and lay her hand on Taylor's shoulder. "Taylor, I-"
"I was a pilot before I came here," said Taylor, covering Shayla's hand with her own. "Being a Ranger changed me. I can't go back, even if I wanted to. I know that for sure, I tried."
"But, I don't understand," said Shayla, looking from Taylor to where her eagle had flown off to. "We defeated the Orgs. The world doesn't need the Wild Force Rangers anymore."
"I know," said Taylor, nodding and stifling another yawn. "I'm not here as a Ranger."
Shayla yawned, then gave Taylor a startled look. "You were yawning," she said, shifting to face Taylor more fully. "You were going to stay here with me. Taylor, I can't ask that of you."
Taylor snorted. She pulled Shayla's hand off her shoulder, holding it in her lap. "You've known me for over two years. Hell, it was just the two of us for so long at first. Would I really make a choice like this lightly?"
Shayla stared quietly down at their joined hands for a minute. "I don't know when the Wild Zords will be needed again, if ever."
"I know," said Taylor. "But you're not doing this alone again." She leaned forward and kissed Shayla gently, smiling into the kiss when Shayla returned it. She pulled back and stood up, pulling Shayla with her. "Just please tell me you've got a comfortable bed we can share."
Shayla laughed and pulled her towards the sleep area. "We'll find something together."
End