Kali breathed in sharply as she rounded a corner and pressed her back up against the wall. She paused, listening to the pounding footsteps as they headed towards her and then reached out, grasped hold of someone's arm and pulled them close.

"Thanks," said Casey.

"No problem," Kali gasped. The pair fell silent as a ball of scales rolled past, collided with a set of boxes and then sprang open to reveal a new Rinshi monster.

"What is that thing?" Casey asked.

Kali shook her head and stepped out from behind the wall. The monster stamped the ground like a bull and fell into a forward roll. He slammed into the shield she had just conjured and unrolled backwards.

"Ow, what was that?" the Rinshi asked, touching his head.

"Jungle Bo!"

"Jungle Tonfa!"

Casey looked up as Lily and Theo flipped over him and Kali, landing in front of the Rinshi and slashing at him with their weapons. They bounced easily off his shell, which looked to be overlapping triangles of scales.

"Guys," Casey called.

"You think your other fights have been tough? I'll show you tough!" the Rinshi cackled.

"What do we do?" Theo asked, pushing himself to his feet. "Our weapons barely scratched the surface."

"That's because nothing can get through my armour," the Rinshi laughed.

Kali glanced around as the clacking of heels on concrete caught her attention. She grumbled as Camille strode into view, smirking, and staring at the Rinshi general.

"What are you still doing with these brats?" Camille hissed. "You have direct orders to target the city. Now move it!"

"Wow, and I thought Leelee could reach the high octaves," said Kali.

Camille sneered at the mention of her niece's name. She turned her attention back to the Rinshi and hissed.

"Yes, ma'am," said the Rinshi general. He punched his fist into his palm and then grew taller, stopping only when he towered high above the city.

Camille grinned and turned to Kali as the others took off, summoning their animal spirits and forming the Megazord. "Run along, little Hellhound," she taunted, waving her hand. "The gates to the Underworld will soon be opening."

"Don't count on it."

~X~

Stretching her arms above her head, Kali groaned as the muscles in her shoulders popped and creaked. "Ooh! That feels good," she mumbled.

"Man, am I glad to be out of there," said Theo. "I felt like I was going to be sick."

"Talk to me, Rangers," said RJ, getting up from his chair. "What happened?"

"Well, this giant anteater -" started Lily.

"Hedgehog," Casey corrected.

Theo furrowed his brow. "I thought it was an artichoke with legs?" he asked.

"It's a Pangolin," said Kali.

"A Pango-what?" Theo asked.

"Pangolin. They're small mammals out of Asia," Kali explained. "Their literal translation is 'something that rolls up'."

"And you know this, how?" Casey asked.

"My parents are diplomats. They spent time all over the world, and before I started to stay with Nick and his family when they travelled, I used to travel with them. Pangolins have a hard shell-like armour that is impossible to break."

Lily rubbed her collarbone. "We learned that the hard way," she groaned. "Our weapons just bounced straight off of him."

"Listen and learn, young cheetah," said RJ, smiling. "I said 'almost impossible'. You just don't have the right weapon."

Kali folded her arms over her stomach and cocked her head at RJ. "Spare us the drum roll," she said, rolling her eyes.

"You're grouchy," RJ said. "Anyway, there is a legend within the Order of the Claw about a Master who wielded a weapon that could break through steel. His name was Master Phant."

"Elephant?" Lily asked.

RJ nodded.

"Okay, so we just call this Master Phant dude and ask him to borrow his weapon," said Casey with a shrug. "Case solved."

Kali glanced at him. "Last I checked you commanded the Tiger spirit," she said.

"I do," said Casey, confused.

"Then, how, pray tell, do you intend to use a weapon created specifically for an elephant spirit?"

Casey floundered, looking for an answer. When he couldn't find it, he sighed and turned away.

"Besides, Master Phant's not that easy to find," said RJ, scratching his chin. "When he retired from teaching, he moved to a remote forest to live a life of solitude. No one's heard from him in years."

"I wonder why he dropped off the grid?" Theo queried.

"No one knows. But, he's lost all contact with the Order of the Claw," said RJ. "Finding it will be tricky."

"Maybe so," said Lily. "But not impossible." She turned and grinned at Kali.

Frowning as she caught Lily's gaze, Kali looked from her to RJ and then back again. "What?" she asked, dropping her stance. "Why you looking at me like a demented maniac?"

"How are your locater spells?" Lily asked.

"Average," said Kali.

"Well, your average is about to become top-notch."

Kali sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm going to regret this," she whined.

~X~

"Hell no!"

Casey frowned and turned to Kali. "What's the big deal?" he asked. "It's just a forest within a forest."

"This is not just a forest," said Kali. "This is the Cimmerian forest! This place is a death trap waiting to happen. There's swamp sand, thirty-foot spiders, troblins, ghouls, goblins, and various other creatures that aren't very welcoming hiding amongst the trees."

"We need to find Master Phant," said Theo. "This is where your locater spell led us, so he has to be in there."

"My locater spells are average; I could've made a mistake."

"You trust your gut with every other form of magic," said Lily. "Why you doubting yourself now?"

"Because this place is not cool. Xander nearly lost his life the last time we were in here," said Kali.

"How did he do that?" Casey asked. "Did the spider get him?"

"No, well yes, but no," said Kali, shaking her head. "I wanted to kill him for leading us into swamp sand and losing the map, then he broke up the beam and nearly got Chip and Maddie eaten by a spider."

Lily, Casey, and Theo shared a look. Kali was not painting a pretty picture.

"At least now I can see why Master Phant chose this place to retire, too," said Theo. "Remote, isolated. No one's going to come bother you if there's living breathing nightmares all around you."

"Exactly."

"But we're still going inside," said Casey. "We have to find Master Phant."

Kali took a deep breath and exhaled. "Then we're going on foot," she said. "My magic won't work in here, at least not effectively. Who knows where we could end up if I tried teleporting?"

"You mean -" Theo whimpered, his eyes glossing over the darkened trees.

"Yep. Whatever you do, don't look up, don't stop, and just keep walking forward," said Kali. She tugged her jacket down and passed through the opening in the fence, feeling the magic shift as she disappeared into the trees.

Casey, Theo, and Lily gulped and followed.

~X~

Rustle. Rustle.

Theo snapped to the left. "What was that?" he asked, his voice shaking. He scanned the trees, watching as a few leaves fell from branches above his head. He swallowed, deliberately denying himself the privilege of looking up.

"Just keep moving, Theo," said Kali, pushing through a bramble bush.

Theo scurried after them, pushing past Casey and wedging himself in behind Lily. "Are you being followed? I feel like we're being followed. Do you feel it, too?" he rambled.

"Why, Theo, are you scared?" Lily teased.

"No!"

Lily laughed and stepped around a tree stump. She glanced back at Theo as he fell behind again, his eyes darting around the dark forest, searching for any clues to who was following them through the trees.

"Theo, behind you!" said Casey, clamping his hands down on Theo's shoulder. He yelled and jumped almost a foot in the air.

Casey and Lily snorted.

Kali rolled her eyes and stopped walking. "Quite finished?" she asked. "I'd like to find Phant before Theo's friend, or friends, find us."

"What does that mean?" Theo asked, trembling. "Kali… Kali!"

"Just keep mov -" Kali broke off as a shape flipped out of a tree and landed directly in front of them.

The scream that Theo let out ricocheted through the forest, bumping off many objects and echoing all around.

Even the figure screamed.

Kali groaned and rubbed her temples. "Phineas," she grumbled, slugging the Troblin in the shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" Phineas asked.

"I'm here on official business," said Kali. "Looking for the one they call Master Phant."

Phineas looked considerate and then pointed towards the mountains to their left. "There is an elephant temple 500 yards that way," he said. "Maybe what you're looking for is there."

"Why do I get the feeling there is a but coming?" Kali asked.

"You'd be right. You have to pass through Leona's land before you can get to the temple," said Phineas, "and Leona doesn't like company."

Lily cocked her head. "Who's Leona?" she asked.

"Only the most terrifying beast in the whole Mystic Realm," said Phineas. He bit his nails while glancing around. "She's fearsome, and bigger than four human men tied together, and as tall as an oak tree. She has a body of a lion, the tail of a snake, the head of a woman, and the wings of an eagle. She speaks in riddles. I don't like Riddles."

"She's a Sphynx?" Theo asked. He grinned and laughed. "What's so terrifying about a Sphynx? Give me the Riddle, I'll work it out, and then we'll pass straight through. Isn't that how it works?"

Kali nodded. "Yea, but if you get it wrong, Leona kills you," she added.

"Oh."

"Do we have to go that way?" Lily asked, looking uneasy?

Phineas shrugged. "You could take the long way around," he said, pointing to his right. "It takes you past the swamp sands, but there's no creatures that way."

"It also the easiest way to get lost," said Kali. "It takes you deep into rough terrain were the atmosphere starts to play tricks with your mind."

"We're not in a J.R.R. Tolkien novel," said Theo. "This isn't Mirkwood."

"Were do you think the idea for Mirkwood came from?"

Theo snapped his mouth closed and sighed.

"Then what do we do?" Casey asked.

"We face Leona," said Kali, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "There's four of us, there's got to be a brain somewhere between us."

Phineas stepped aside and Kali passed by him, Casey, Theo, and Lily following her. "Good luck!" he called, reaching his hand into the air and waving.

"See you soon, Phineas," Kali called.

~X~

The forest grew darker, and the trees became closer the deeper the Rangers walked. The air was a lot denser and seemed to suffocate you when you breathed in.

"What's happening?" Lily asked, taking a deep breath. "It's like all the air has been sucked away."

"It's magic," said Kali. "The deeper in we go, the older the magic is. This ancient sorcery hasn't been used in years. Even I am feeling dizzy."

"How far did Phineas say Leona's layer was?" Casey asked.

Kali paused, leaning against a tree trunk. "Not far," she said. "I've never met Leona, but I have read about her. She'll find us, long before we find her."

"What does that mean?" Theo asked.

"You'll see," said Kali. She pushed off the tree and carried on, pushing aside low-hanging branches and stepping over upturned roots. She shoved through a bush, almost tripping on a cluster of eggs hidden beneath the leaves.

Lily furrowed her brow as she glanced at the nest. "What are those?" she asked, nervously.

Kali shook her head. "Keep moving," she said.

"Are they Leona's?" Lily asked. "Is she a new mother? New mothers of any animal are vicious. What if she doesn't ask us a riddle? What if she just sees us as a threat to her young and decides to kill us on the spot."

Kali paused and turned to the young cheetah. "I thought we left Fran back in Ocean Bluff," she said.

Lily took a deep breath. "Sorry," she said. "I'm just nervous."

"Really? I couldn't tell," said Kali. She placed her hands on Lily's shoulders and stared her in the face. "Leona is a Sphynx, they don't reproduce."

"Are you sure?"

Kali nodded. "Positive," she replied. "A Sphynx has no gender; therefore, it is neither male nor female. Since is no gender, it has no reason to reproduce."

"How old is Leona?" Theo asked.

"No one knows, and I wouldn't consider asking her, either," said Kali, glancing his way. "She may actually decide to skip the Riddle and just devour you."

Theo narrowed his eyes. "This isn't funny, Kali," he said.

"Obviously because no one is laughing," Kali said. She looked back at Lily, smiled, and turned her back, continuing to lead the way deeper into the trees.

Soon, they reached a clearing, and on the opposite side, cutting off their exit was a rather large creature. It's flank rivalled that of the Hellhound, and it's front paws were the size of six dinner plates. The head was that of a woman, and she had long black hair with black eyes.

As the Rangers stepped closer, she grinned at them, showing two pointed fangs protruding from her upper gums. "Welcome, travellers," she said, although she didn't move her lips.

"Whoa!" Theo yelped, looking around. "Did anyone else hear that?"

"Yeah. A woman's voice in my head," said Casey. "Kali, is that -?"

Kali nodded; her gaze locked with Leona's.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Hellhound," said Leona, tilting her head to the left. "You predecessors hold no candle to your abilities. Tell me, how does it feel to know you are all-powerful?"

"Is that your question for us?" Kali asked. "If I answer it, you'll step aside and let us pass?"

Leona laughed. The sound rumbled in her chest like a growl. "Not as foolish as most I meet out here, I see," she said.

"I know better than to enter idle chit chat with you," said Kali. "We're not interested in gossip, and neither are you. There is no right or wrong answer to me being all-powerful, and therefore it would be satiable enough to whet your appetite. What is your question?"

Leona blinked once. It was a slow and deliberate blink. She then stood, padded back and forth in front of the exit, leaving it open for a few minutes and then crossing its path again. It was almost like she was enticing them to make a move, to see who was faster - them or her.

"Very well," said Leona. "Answer me this correctly, and you shall pass - There are two sisters': one gives birth to the other, who in turn gives birth to first. Who are they?"

Theo opened his mouth, paused, and then closed it again. He looked thoughtful, and then furrowed his brow. "What kind of question is that?" he asked.

"There are two sisters': one gives birth to the other, who in turn gives birth to first. Who are they?" Leona repeated.

"That's not helpful," Theo muttered.

"There are two sisters' -"

"You already -" Theo started, his temper starting to get the better of him.

Turning quickly, Kali cuffed Theo across the side of the head and then dragged him back to the edge of the clearing they had just come from. "You're not being helpful, either," she told him. "Now shut and think. Two sisters, one gives birth to the other, who in turn gives birth to the first."

"Two sisters can't give birth to one another," said Theo. "That's why it's a stupid question."

"But it's not a question," said Lily. "It's a riddle."

"Even riddles make sense," Theo protested.

"They don't," said Lily, shaking her head. "Riddles are meant to make you stop and think. They force you to second guess yourself, even though the plain and simple answer is the correct one."

"Could it be an animal?" Casey asked. "Like, there are animals out there than swap roles in nature. Like, the seahorse, it is the male that gives birth, not the female."

"And penguins," said Lily. "They share the responsibility of nurturing their young, even after they have hatched."

Kali glanced over at Leona. "I think it's more philosophical than that," she said. "I mean, what else other than animals give birth to something? What if…" she paused, her mind racing a mile a minute. "What if she doesn't mean 'give birth' in the biological sense?"

"What other sense is there?" Theo asked.

"Celestial?" Lily asked. "The sun gives way to the moon when the day is done, and vice versa when the night is over. As the sun dies, the moon rises."

"Day gives birth to night, and then night gives birth to day," said Lily.

Kali looked over at Leona. "We all have to be in agreement that this is our answer," she said.

"It sounds plausible," said Casey.

Lily nodded. "And it fits with the riddle," she said.

Theo blinked as everyone turned to face him. "I can't think of anything to say against it," he said. "I just hope, if it's wrong, she takes out the one who answered first." He shot Kali a pointed look.

Kali rolled her eyes and led the way back over Leona.

"You have answer?"

"Yes. The answer is Day and Night - the day gives birth to the night, and the night gives birth to the day."

There was a heavy silence as Leona and Kali stared at one another. Casey, Lily, and Theo shared distressed looks, before signing in relief as Leona stepped aside, revealing the exit to them.

"Good luck, travellers," said Leona. She bowed her head as they passed. "Hellhound, a word of warning, a great darkness is coming. It would do you well to watch your back."

Kali frowned and watched a Leona walked away, disappearing into the trees. She hadn't read anywhere about a Sphynx warning someone about the future, so what was that?

"Hey, Kali, come on," Theo called. "We can't lose you. You're the only one who knows how to get out of here."

Shaking her head, Kali hurried to catch up.

~X~

The air started to clear as the Rangers reached the edge of forest, stepping out into cleaner air and someone's garden. Vegetable patches had been lined up, side-by-side and carrots, potatoes, beans, and fruit were growing from within them. A small shack had been created on the far side of the clearing, and behind the shack was a giant rock face where an Elephant's head had been carved.

"Whoa," said Casey, looking up. "I think we're in the right place."

"You think?" Theo asked. He tore his gaze away from the mountain and around the garden. Aside from the vegetable and fruit beds, a stone water well stood beside the shack, it's round stone basin holding a wooden roof over the water hole. At the top was a water bucket, it's rope tied tightly to the stake in the ground.

"Cute," said Lily, smiling.

Kali nodded.

"It's not cute," said Theo. "No self-respecting Pai Zhuq master would leave the temple to come live out here."

Kali rolled her eyes. "Don't knock something you don't understand, Theo," she said. "The people in the Mystic Realm, all of them live like this."

"They have magic, could conjure up manors and mansions, and the choose to live like this?" Theo scoffed, shaking his head.

"It's because of attitudes like that that they chose to live a simpler life," Kali hissed. "Things are less materialistic out here. We have compassion and sympathy for others. Humans only care about themselves and their possessions."

Theo opened his mouth to retort, but Kali cut him off by walking away. She approached the shack and stepped up onto the porch. There was a window beside the door, and one on the other side, facing the back yard. The window was either blacked out, or the inside was so dark it was hard to see anything.

"Hello?" Kali called, knocking the door. Her eyes widened slightly as it shook on its hinges, and she pleaded silently for it not to fall down.

No one answered.

Lily grasped the doorknob and pushed it open. It creaked. "Not creepy," she whispered, leading the way inside.

The inside was just as gloomy as the outside. A wax candle sat in the window, it had burned down to the quick and the stale smell of smoke filled the cramped space, a rocking chair sat in the corner of the room and in the chair was a black mass.

Kali nudged Lily and nodded at the direction of the chair. "Master Phant?" she asked.

"What do you want?" asked a gruff voice.

"Are you Master Phant?"

"I was once known by that name."

From the corner of her eye, Kali noticed Lily, Theo, and Casey bow respectively.

Theo nudged Kali.

Kali rolled her eyes, but bowed, nonetheless.

"Why do you disturb my solitude?" Master Phant asked.

"We need your help," said Kali.

"Impertinent children!" Master Phant spat, sitting up straight. He leaned forward, his face entering the small strip of light coming in through the window. He had untamed, grey hair and dark eyes. "You were not invited here, leave me be!"

"No, please, we're not children," Lily insisted. "We're students. Of the Order of the Claw."

Master Phant paused, his gaze glossing over them all. He landed on Kali, sniffed and then reclined back in his chair. "You are not Order of the Claw," he said, looking her over from head to toe. "You are of the Mystic Realm."

"Aren't we all?" Kali questioned. "The Order of the Claw was created by the Ancient Mystics, my ancestors. That makes us all one in the same."

Master Phant huffed and tore his gaze away from her.

"Isn't that why you chose this specific forest to retire to?" Kali asked. "You knew you would be welcomed here, safe. The Mystics never step out on one of their own."

"That is not the only reason I chose this place," said Master Phant.

Kali could hear something in his voice. Something she had only heard once before. When Udonna had come the Underworld to save her and the other Rangers and had been saved by Koragg. When he had demorphed, and she had gazed at the man behind the armour, the longing in her voice was the same that Master Phant had now.

"You have family here," said Kali.

Master Phant scoffed gruffly. "Not that it's any business of yours," he said.

"You may find it is my business. I am the guardian of this realm. It is my job to know who lives in my world, and your family does just that, just like you."

"What do you want?" Master Phant repeated. "Why are you here? If it is of no importance, and only to irritate me, then you can leave."

"It is of importance to every Pai Zhuq master - both old and new - Dai Shi has escaped his confinements," said Theo.

Master Phant stiffened.

That did it, Kali thought.

"It cannot be true," Master Phant whispered.

"It is true," said Casey.

"That is unfortunate, but there is nothing I can do to help you."

"Well, that's not entirely true," said Kali. "There is a Rinshi loose in Ocean Bluff - a Pangolin - and we can't get through its armour to defeat it. We were told that you possess a weapon that could help us."

Master Phant stared at her without blinking. It was a little unnerving. "You speak of the Jungle Mace," he said, finally.

"I guess…" said Kali with a small shrug.

"I haven't used the Jungle Mace in years," said Master Phant. "It's the weapon of a warrior, and I'm nothing more than a useless old man."

"Useless my foot," said Theo. "The Elephant spirit is said to be one of the strongest out of all animal spirits."

"No, my days as a Master are over," said Master Phant, shaking his head. "I also do not tolerate intruders. I just want to be left alone. Live out the rest of my days in peace."

Theo grit his teeth, then turned and strode out of the door.

Casey and Lily frowned at one another and chased after him.

Kali lingered, staring at Master Phant.

"I can feel your judgement from here, Hellhound," said Master Phant. "But, it matters not to me. I have made my choice. You cannot change my mind."

"I wasn't going to try," said Kali, shaking her head.

"Then why do you not leave me be?"

Kali shrugged. "I guess I'm just trying to figure out why you would turn your back on everything you've worked so hard for?" she asked. "Master Mao gave his life to make sure that those three cubs survived long enough to put Dai Shi back where he belongs. He came and recruited me, and while I understand the desire to just sit back and do nothing, I don't have the luxury."

Master Phant sniffed again.

"I have a family, too," Kali continued. "Two, actually. One here in the Mystic Realm and the other in the human world. I don't want either of them to get hurt, and it is the desire to protect them and keep them alive that drives me. If you cared about your family, at all, you'd find it in yourself to help us."

"I'm sorry," said Master Phant. "But there is nothing I can do to help you."

With one final look, Kali turned and left the shack. She bumped into Lily on her way out, shaking her head sadly.

Lily heaved a sigh.

Reaching into his pocket, Casey pulled out his sunglasses and slid them onto his face. He tapped the side and gasped, ripping them off in a haste. "That Pangolin is back," he said. "We have to go."

Kali rounded Lily and headed towards the tree line with the boys.

"Lil, you coming?" Theo asked, noticing that Lily hadn't moved.

"No," said Lily, crossing her legs and sitting down. "I'm staying here until Master Phant shows me how to use the Jungle Mace."

"Stubborn girl," Master Phant roared, appearing at the door of his shack. "I said no!"

"And I say, deal with me as a permanent fixture until you do," said Lily, folding her arms. She looked up at her teammates. "Go ahead. Call me if you need me."

Kali nodded and turned to the others. "Let's go," she said.

~X~

"This is the perfect spot," said Pangolin. He was knelt over a strip of sidewalk, his hand pressed against the ground. "I'll drill right into the fault line."

"Good. But do it quickly," said Camille. "Before the Rangers find out our plan."

"Bit late for that."

Camille and Pangolin looked up as Casey, Theo, and Kali flipped into view.

"I knew it!" Camille sneered. "Hurry, Pangolin!" she ordered, stepping between him and the Rangers.

Pangolin nodded and leapt into the air. He transformed into his ball form, and slammed into the sidewalk, breaking the concrete and digging straight down.

Snapping her fingers, Camille summoned a small handful of Rinshi warriors, and ordered them to attack. As they divided the rangers, Camille set her sights on Kali and swung a punch through the air.

Kali raised her arm and blocked, then kicked up, slamming her leg into Camille's side and sending her stumbling.

"Where's your little yellow friend?" Camille asked. "Did she finally throw in the towel?"

Kali grit her teeth and lunged for Camille. "Lily will be here," she said. "She's off discovering a new way to stop you."

"Good luck. We can't be stopped," said Camille. "The sooner you realise that, the better off you'll be."

"Whatever you say," said Kali. She caught Camille's arm and rolled beneath it, twisting it around behind the Chameleon's back and pulling it taught.

Camille hissed and reached up to catch her shoulder.

"You know, your sister put up a better fight than you did," said Kali, kicking Camille in the bottom of the back and sending her forward. "Even as a human."

"My sister is weak!" Camille snarled. "To turn her back on centuries worth of family traditions."

"She didn't turn her back on anything, she still honours her family traditions. She just doesn't fight on the wrong side."

"I don't know how you managed to defeat the master," said Camille. "But Dai Shi won't be as easy."

"We'll see about that," said Kali.

With one final sneer, Camille disappeared. Kali turned and spotted Theo and Casey, standing idly by, the remains of the destroyed Rinshi disappearing at fast pace behind them.

Jogging over, Kali saw what had caught the two boys attention, and smiled. Lily had arrived and was fighting the Pangolin with the Elephant Mace.

"She did it," said Kali, startling the two boys. "She got Master Phant to teach her."

"That's Lily," said Theo. "Stubborn."

Kali smiled.

Pangolin howled as he was knocked into the air. He spun out of his ball and landed with a crunch on the sidewalk, looking up at the Yellow Ranger with wide eyes. "How did you -" he broke off as the spike-ball collided with him, shattering his shell as he tried to roll into a ball for protection.

"Oh, that had to hurt!" Kali winced.

That' armour's not so thick now, huh?" asked Lily.

Kali jogged over to Lily as Pangolin exploded. "Way to go," she said, clapping the teenager on the shoulder.

"I can't believe you got it," said Theo. "Master Phant was determined that no one was going to get him out of retirement."

"Master Phant may have given up on himself, but I weren't about to," said Lily, smiling. "My stubbornness paid off this time."

"Unfortunately, we're not done," said Casey. He was looking up as a shadow fell over them.

Kali sighed and stepped back. "Go for it," she said. "I'll come help if you need it."

The trio nodded and took off, calling on their animal spirits and combing them to form their Megazord.

As she watched the battle, Kali sensed a presence at her rear and turned to find Master Phant standing there. She raised her head slightly and unfolded her arms, as she stared at him.

"You've got one hell of a team at your back," said Master Phant. "Especially Lily."

"I know," said Kali.

"I've disappointed you."

Kali shrugged. "I didn't tell the others that I have read of the Masters of Old," she said. "But, I know quite a bit about you. I know why you chose the Mystic Realm to retire, too, it isn't just because you have family there - a granddaughter, if I'm not mistaken?"

Master Phant nodded.

"But your wife was a mystic knight, wasn't she?" Kali asked. "Sage Colt."

Again, Phant nodded. "She died protecting her world," he said. "And, ever since, I have resented the Mystics."

"Then why chose this realm to retire?" Kali asked. "I understand that your family lives there, but there are so many places that you could've gone. Even the Human world. You could've hidden in plain sight there, no one would be none the wiser."

"Sage would've been disappointed in me."

"You think she's proud of you now?"

Master Phant sighed. "I guess you have a point," he said.

"Look, I am sorry about what happened to your wife, really, I am, but hiding away from your responsibilities isn't going to bring her back," said Kali. "If anything, it's bringing dishonour to her memory. Sage fought and died for something she believed in, and you were willing to run away."

"I know," Master Phant said. "If possible, I would like to make it up to you."

Kali shrugged. "There are times that doing this job, being what we are, is hard, but we don't give up," she said. "Because if we give up then we lose. I understand why you wanted to quit, but Lily has shown you a reason to keep fighting. Please, don't give up on her. No matter how hard it gets."

"I promise," Master Phant said.