Kali looked up from her book as Casey brushed past her and entered the kitchen. She frowned, closed the book, careful to mark the page she had been reading, and followed the energetic tiger cub. He was pestering RJ as he tried to make the next batch of pizzas.

"Wait, let me guess…" said RJ. "Six horses, a toilet plunger, and a wireless mouse."

"What?" Casey asked, confused.

"Sorry. I thought that might have been the answer to your question," said RJ, shaking his head. "Go ahead."

"I know this is a sore subject -"

"Sore like in muscle pulls," RJ interrupted. "Or sore like in subjects I don't want to talk about?"

Casey hesitated.

"I'm guessing the second one," said Kali, startling the pair.

RJ sighed. "Look, Casey, you trust me, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, course," said Casey. "You're my Pai Zhuq master."

"Then why do you want another?"

Casey opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by the ground shaking. A scream caused Kali to spin around and duck back out into the restaurant, a little girl was standing in the middle of the room, a refill in her hand. She was staring at the ceiling as it crumbled, while other panicked patrons ducked beneath their tables.

"Everyone remain calm!" Rylie called, rushing through the room.

Kali slipped past Fran and picked up the little girl. She held her tight, pressing a hand to the back of her head and carrying her behind the counter. "Stay under here," she said, storing the little girl beneath the shelf. "Everything's going to be okay."

The little girl nodded, tears streaking her face as fear reflected in her eyes.

"Kali, let's go," said Lily, racing out of the kitchen with Theo and Casey in tow.

"Coming!" Kali called. She looked down at the little girl, winked, and then motioned to Rylie about her.

"Go," said Rylie, sliding in behind Kali. "I got her."

Kali nodded and took off after her friends. Firing off a quick text to Nick as she left the restaurant.

~X~

Appearing at the beach, Kali looked around.

"Not fair!" Casey whined. "Why didn't you teleport us, too?"

"You didn't stick around long enough," said Kali. "We should morph just to be on the safe side."

The other three nodded and the four of them slid their glasses onto their faces. "Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed!" they called.

"Do you sense anything?" Lily asked Kali.

Kali nodded and looked around, searching the beach for any signs of a disturbance. "There!" she said, pointing a little further down. A waterspout had started to form over the surface of the water, sucking the salty liquid into the sky.

"Welcome, Rangers," Camille called, appearing beside the water spout. "Where's my manners? Allow me to introduce your welcoming party." She snapped her fingers and a load of Rinshi bounced along the beach.

"Ready?" Casey asked.

The others nodded and split off, meeting the Rinshi halfway.

"We meet again, Hellhound," said Camille, finding Kali in the fray.

"How disappointing for me," said Kali, blocking a hit. "I was half expecting someone that is more of a challenge."

Camille growled and stepped back, transforming into her chameleon armour. She pulled her Sais from her hips and flung them at Kali.

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" Kali asked. She snapped her fingers and a shield appeared between her and Camille, the Sais bouncing harmlessly off its reflective surface.

"Only cowards hide behind a shield," Camille sneered.

"Only cowards rely on weapons!" Kali snapped back. She lowered her shield and lunged at Camille.

Camille grunted and elbowed Kali in the shoulders.

Kali shook her off and rolled her muscles.

An explosion nearby caused both women to tear their attention from one another, and towards the waterspout. Casey lay on his back in the surf, but it wasn't Casey that was the cause for concern - an older man, in a blue tunic was racing down the beach towards them, wielding two short-handled blades.

"No!" Camille hissed. She lifted her hand across her chest and then pointed at the older man.

Kali jumped up and grabbed Camille's arm, twisting it around behind the chameleon's back. The laser in Camille's fingers hit her in the stomach and she stumbled, absorbing the blast into her body.

"Power of the Shark!" the older man yelled. He slid to a stop beside Casey, and slashed both swords through the air, unleashing a wave of aqua energy at the waterspout. The spout shuddered and spat a clam-Rinshi out of the opening at the top.

Confused, the clam staggered to his feet and looked around. "Hey, what happened?" he asked. He paused as he saw the Rangers and scrambled backward, away from them.

Camille sighed and kicked Kali in the chest, taking her by surprise and sending her stumbling. She then hurried over to her monster and the pair disappeared.

Pressing two fingers to her chest, Kali breathed in sharply and then out as the pain from Camille's kick faded and made her way over to where the others were crowding the old man.

"Who are you?" Theo asked.

"Master Finn," Kali answered, eyeing the twin blades at his side.

The older man nodded and bowed to her. Kali returned the gesture. "Hellhound, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," he said. "I've heard great things."

"Please, call me Kali."

Finn nodded and looked around at the other Rangers, his gaze landed on Casey, and he tapped the hilt of his sword against the teenagers shoulder. "You," he said, smiling.

"Yes! My new master!" said Casey, without missing a beat.

~X~

"Can I get you something to eat?"

"Or drink?"

Master Finn smiled at the enthusiasm of the cubs. "Surprise me," he said, watching as they scampered off, falling over one another in their haste to get him what he wanted.

Kali rolled her eyes and continued to lead Master Finn into the loft. "Casey is so stoked you're here," she said. "He's been hammering on about getting his new Master since Lily and Theo got theirs."

"I hope I can be of service to him," said Master Finn. "Learning a new Animal spirit is not easy. Trust me, trying to teach it to someone who was born into it is hard enough."

Kali furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"My son. I tried to teach him my animal spirit, but he either didn't want it or refused to accept it," said Master Finn. "He left to find his own spirit, and I haven't seen him since."

"It's got to be a coincidence, but that's the same story RJ gave me about his dad," said Kali.

Master Finn nodded. "Well, you see, RJ is -" he cut off as Casey and RJ appeared on the basketball court.

"Dad?" RJ gasped, his eyes widening at the sight of Master Finn.

Casey's attention snapped to Master Finn, while Kali's snapped to RJ. "Dad?" they both echoed.

"Hello, RJ," said Master Finn, crossing his arms in front of him. "How have you been, son?"

Awkwardly, Kali caught Casey's elbow and tugged him aside. "Come on, Case," she said. "Let's give these two some privacy. You can talk with Master Finn later."

Casey allowed Kali to pull him away with protest.

~X~

Casey sighed as he sat on the metal staircase leading from the kitchen to the loft. "This sucks," he said.

"What?" Kali asked, leaning on the handrail.

"My new master being RJ's dad."

Kali cocked an eyebrow. "Why would that suck?" she asked.

"Because RJ doesn't want me to have a new master," said Casey. "He's obviously not going to like that my new one is own father?!"

Kali rolled her eyes. "Sure, it's a little awkward, but if RJ is anything of the man we know he is, he won't get in the way of your training," she said. "He'll be happy for you, regardless of who your new Master is. Besides, Master Finn isn't sticking around for long. He'll teach you what you need to learn, and then move on. Just like Master Phant and Swoop."

"I suppose," said Casey. He heaved another sigh and looked up, casting a glance over his shoulder. "You think their reunion has finished?"

Kali shrugged. "Dunno. When my adopted parents came back into my life, I did everything I could to avoid attending the dinner reservations they had made - I went, simply because I was bullied into it by Tori, but that's' beside the point. The dinner didn't last as long as I expected it too, is my point. RJ could be different; he could be happy to see his dad and want to spend as much time with him as possible."

"Really?" Casey asked, both nervous and frustrated.

Kali shot him a look. "No, idiot," she said, shaking her head. "RJ was super surprised when he saw his dad, but, and I guess it takes one to know one, I could hear the disappointment in his voice, too."

"Takes one what?" Casey asked, his brow furrowed.

"Disappointment."

Casey's eyes widened. "Oh," he murmured, looking down. Her dropped his head onto his knees and heaved out another sigh.

Kali patted his head and pulled her phone out of her pocket. She had three missed calls from Nick and a text message asking her to call him back when she wasn't busy. "I gotta go," she said, pushing away from the stairs. "Good luck, Case."

Casey watched her disappear out in the restaurant, then stood, squared his shoulders and headed back upstairs.

~X~

"The gate's fine. No damage. Will you now stop worrying?"

Kali heaved a sigh and run a hand through her hair. She had left JKP and was walking through the streets of Ocean Bluff, her phone pressed to her ear as Nick relayed any and all information to her from Briarwood.

"Have you stopped worrying yet?"

Kali snorted. "Yeah. I'm okay," she said. "Sorry for the cause for concern. That earthquake was just —"

"Nerve wracking," said Nick. "Yeah. I can imagine it was. Especially considering it only took one Earthquake to cause a split in the gate. But, Kali, there's nothing in the Underworld that can escape anymore."

"That we know," said Kali. "There are rooms in the Underworld that we haven't investigated yet. There could be more than what we know down there, and I don't want to risk another Pandora's box like-incident."

"Everything is fine."

Kali nodded and her grip on her phone loosened a little. "Yeah, I believe you," she said. "How's everything else going in Briarwood? The others okay? Xander still having a scale 10 panic attack about being Best Man?"

Nick chuckled. "He's down to about a 6 now," he said. "Whatever you said or did has helped him. He's a lot more organised than he was."

"You guys found a place for the bachelor party yet?"

"You found one for the bachelorette?"

Kali laughed. "I was thinking New Orleans," she replied. "Remember Winter break?"

Nick groaned. "You in New Orleans is not how I imagine Vida's bachelorette," he said.

"Well, I could always take the girls to Vegas and get a stripper," Kali teased. "I mean, that is the traditional sense for a bachelorette, right?"

"Don't you dare!" Nick warned. "Not only do I not want you anywhere near a male stripper, can you imagine Xander and Chip's faces when they find out? Even Maddie's boyfriend and Phineas may have heart attacks."

Kali grinned. "Who said anything about a male stripper?" she asked.

"You're killing me, Kali."

Kali laughed.

There was a small pause, before Kali stiffened and her hand dropped from her face slightly, pressing her phone to her mouth rather than her ear.

"You still there?" Nick asked.

"I have to go," said Kali. "I'll call you later. Love you."

"Wait, what's -" Nick cut off as Kali snapped her phone shut and stuffed it into her pocket. She took off, running down the street, following the unease she felt in her chest and then disappeared in a flicker of magic.

~X~

Re-appearing at the beach, Kali turned in a full circle, her eyes scanning her surroundings as she tried to find the thing that was causing the disturbance and unsettling the Hellhound. "Where are you?" she called, her voice ringing out in the silence.

"Over here, Ranger."

Kali turned and found herself face-to-face with Camille and the clam from that morning. Behind them, were a horde of Rinshi foot soldiers that she knew she would need help to defeat.

"What are you doing, Camille?" Kali asked. "Loitering is a crime, you know?"

Camille rolled her eyes. "I wonder if you would say that to some innocent bystander?" she asked.

"We both know you're not some innocent bystander," said Kali, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her sunglasses. She slid them onto her face, tapped the side, and clenched her hand into a fist. "Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed!"

Camille scoffed, one hand on her hip, as she stared Kali down. "Get her!" she ordered the clam.

"Yes, ma'am!" the Rinshi monster said, rushing forward. He beat his fists together, then pulled back and swung forward, slamming one into Kali's stomach. He lifted her off of her feet and threw her backward.

Kali landed with a cough and groan.

"Hey!"

Looking up, Camille and the Rinshi spotted the other Rangers racing towards their fallen teammate. "Perfect!" she sneered.

"Kali, you okay?" Lily asked, falling to her knees beside the black ranger.

Winded, but still able to stand, Kali nodded and pushed herself up. "We need the Claw Cannon," she said, through shallow breaths.

"Powered by Animal Spirits!"

Kali watched as the energy ball exploded from the end of the cannon and slammed into the clam. "Did we get him?" she asked.

"No," said Theo, pointing out to see where a waterspout had started to form again. It disappeared into a sprinkle of glittering droplets and revealed the Clam Rinshi towering over the beach.

"You're like an annoying piece of sand under my shell," the clam roared.

"Let's cook this crab!" said Casey.

The others nodded.

"Animal Spirits, Unite as One!"

Kali closed her eyes and drew on the power of the Hellhound. "Call to the Beast inside, Release the Hellhound!" she called.

"You're joining us this time?" Casey asked.

"You rather I didn't?"

Casey shook his head. "The more power, the better chances we have," he said. "Ready?"

"Ready!"

The two Megazord's squared off against the Clam. Taking a step forward, the Jungle Pride leapt into the air and drew its feet together, smashing both of them into the Clam's chest and knocking him back. They flipped backwards and landed safely in the surf.

"Kali, you're turn!" said Lily.

"Way ahead of you, kid," said Kali, stepping forward. She stood up on all four legs and bared her teeth at the clam. "Hell's inferno!" she called, opening her jaws and unleashing a ball of black fire at the clam.

The Clam howled as he ducked beneath the water again, putting out the flames. Popping back up, he swung his fist around and punched the Jungle Pride, knocking it back into the Hellhound.

"Oof!" Kali grunted.

"Casey, activate the Shark Zord!" Master Finn called from the beach.

The Jungle Pride nodded, and Kali pushed it forward using her flank. "Calling on the Spirit of the Shark!" the Rangers called.

Out from the depths of the water, shot a large Shark Zord. It landed in the surf between the Jungle Pride and the Clam, bearing its teeth in an aggressive stance.

The Clam took a step back in alarm.

Raising into the air, the Shark zord sped towards the clam. Once it was close enough, it disappeared beneath the weaves and clamped its jaws around the Rinshi's monsters leg.

The Clam howled and hopped around, clutching its legs as the Shark Zord released and flew across the water, disappearing once again beneath the waves. When it resurfaced for the third time, it zoomed towards the clam before turning at the last second and slamming into the Jungle Pride.

"Whoa!" Kali gasped.

"What happened?" Lily asked.

"Why did it attack us?" Theo questioned.

"I don't know…" said Casey, trailing off.

Kali watched as the Shark Zord swam back towards the Clam and growled at the team. "It's on his side," she said. "We have to get out of here."

"What?" Casey asked. "But what about -"

Kali cut him off by touching the rump of her Hellhound to the Jungle Pride, causing it to disappear. She met the Shark Zords gaze once more, before disappearing, too.

~X~

RJ sighed heavily as he tossed a second and third card onto the floor. In the centre of his feet rested a hat, where the cards were supposed to be ending up, but instead they littered the floor around it.

"Card throwing, really?" Kali asked, squatting down beside him. She braced herself against the shelf, and then straightened her legs out so that she was sat on the steps beside him.

"It's relaxing," said RJ. "Helps me focus."

Kali raised an eyebrow as RJ threw another card and missed. "Yeah, focus," she said, laughing lightly. "Seems the more you miss the more distracted you become."

"Guess it's that easy to see, huh?"

"You're disappointed your father is Casey's new master?" Kali asked.

RJ shrugged. "I'm happy that Casey has a new master," he said. "But, out of all the master's there are, why my dad?"

"Can't answer that one, unfortunately," said Kali. "But, I do know that Master Finn choosing Casey had nothing to do with you or your training. Besides, like I told Casey earlier, Master Finn isn't going to be around full-time. You're always going to be Casey's number one mentor."

RJ gave a small, lopsided grin.

"And, on the plus side, you still got me," said Kali, nudging him. "I don't plan on gaining a new Mentor any time soon."

"How did the fight pan out?"

Kali shrugged. "Your father's zord turned on us," she said. "Don't ask me how. But the Clam -"

"Crustaceo," RJ corrected.

"Oookay…" said Kali, smiling. "But, Crustaceo somehow managed to get the Shark Zord on his side."

"Looks like my father's not Mr. Perfect after all."

Kali pursed her lips. "I know how it feels, you know. To be a disappointment to your parents," she said. "Hell, I'm a disappointment to both my adoptive parents and my birth father."

"But your birth mother still accepts you," said RJ. "At least you got one person in your corner."

"Your mother not in yours?"

"She's not even in the picture."

Kali furrowed her brow and then shook her head. If RJ had wanted to tell her about his mother, he would've. She wasn't about to press him for a story that was nothing to do with her. "Anyway, like I was saying, being a disappointment doesn't really go away," she said.

"I thought you were trying to cheer me up?"

"But, it only becomes a problem if you let it," said Kali, poking his shoulder. "I stopped caring what my adoptive parents thought of me when they left me in Juvie Hall and didn't bother to come see me before they left the country."

"And your birth father?"

"Considering I destroyed him, I wouldn't say his opinions matters anyway."

RJ forced a chuckle. "I just don't want Casey to think I'm not good enough for him anymore," he said.

"No one thinks that," said Kali. "Theo and Lily still look to you for assistance, and they have new Masters. Casey is just like a kid on Christmas morning right now, the excitement will pass, and he'll come back to you."

RJ's shoulders raised and fell as he breathed deeply.

"Can I ask you something?" Kali asked.

RJ nodded.

"What happened between you and your dad?"

RJ closed his eyes for a second. "My father always wanted me to go into the Shark technique," he answered. "But I didn't want that. I could never grasp it, so, when I left to find my own Master, my dad never got over it. All he knew was to work me over and over into his spirit, and whenever I spoke up about leaving, he would close off or pretend to not listen. He wanted me to do it his way, and only his way."

"Is that how you met Rylie?"

"Yeah. Her dad was the original Wolf Master," said RJ. "He was training her when I came along. He agreed to take me on as a student, and we trained together for years. When I returned to the Pai Zhuq academy for my master's test, she came too. We both passed, and the rest is History."

Kali smiled. "How long ago was this?" she asked.

"About seven years."

"And you've been together this whole time?"

RJ nodded.

"Nice."

The pair fell silent. RJ continued to throw cards into the hat, sometimes he missed, other times he made it, and Kali just sat watching him.

Neither were sure how long they sat together, but they did jump when the alarms sounded, and the monitors flickered to life.

"What is it?" RJ asked as Kali reached the TVs first. She looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Crustaceo back," said Kali. "The others need help."

RJ stared at the screens. "Wait," he said, grabbing her arms as she bypassed him. "Let me go."

"But -" Kali started.

"Trust me."

~X~

"Punch it, pull it and throw it," said RJ, showing his father how he prepared the pizza dough for the cafe.

Master Finn tried it next and ended up getting the base stuck to the ceiling. "Huh," he frowned as RJ chuckled. "I guess I'm not perfect at everything."

RJ lowered his gaze. "Dad, I'm sorry for anything I have said that may have hurt you," he apologised.

"So am I, RJ," said Master Finn. "You make an old shark very proud."

RJ beamed.

The door opened and Kali strolled in. "Oh, sorry, didn't expect anyone to be down here," she apologised, noticing the two master's at the table. She furrowed her brow at the ingredients littering the table. "Bit late for pizza, isn't it?"

"I'm just showing my dad how to throw dough," said RJ. "He's not a natural."

Master Finn chuckled and Kali smiled.

"Well, we all have our weaknesses," said Kali. "I mean, I love to dance, but I hate dancing in front of a crowd."

"You're also good at giving advice but not taking it," said RJ.

Kali laughed. "If that weren't true I'd smack you," she said, picking up a piece of raw mushroom and eating it.

"That's gross," said Casey, wandering down from upstairs. Theo and Lily at his back.

"Oh please, you eat raw fish, Theo likes clams, and Lily likes raw pepperoni," said Kali. "What's raw mushrooms compared to that?"

RJ smiled and shook his head.

"So, what's this?" Casey asked, looking around at RJ and Fin. "Family bonding?"

"They're throwing dough," said Kali.

"I can see that."

Kali smiled and reached for another piece of mushroom.

"Why don't you just make a pizza, Kali?" Theo asked, slapping her hand and moving the bowl away from her.

"Because I'm not hungry."

"Then stop eating the mushrooms."

"No, you misunderstand, I'm not hungry for pizza," said Kali, "I just want a snack. Mushrooms are nice."

"Yeah, when cooked," Lily teased.

Kali stuck her tongue out. "I'm going to bed," she said, turning to face the stairs.

"Wait, Kali, just one moment, please," called Master Finn. "I would just like to thank you all. If it wasn't for you four, I never would've known how a good son, and what a fine master, RJ has become."

RJ smiled as his father clapped him on the shoulder. "Aw, dad," he gushed.

Kali smiled. "Can I go to bed now?" she asked.

Master Finn chuckled and nodded. "Yes, you can go to bed now," he said.

"Great. Goodnight," said Kali, climbing the stairs and leaving the others behind.

I love Kali and RJ's friendship.

Let me know your thoughts :)