The first thing Kali noticed when her word brightened again was that it wasn't a light from a natural source, like the sun or moon, but it also wasn't fluorescent, like that from a light bulb. This light was unstable. It flickered and cast shadows around the room. It was then, when her eyes adjusted, that she realised it was flames. Flames that licked their way up and down the walls and ceiling, encasing her in a box.

A firebox.

The second thing she noticed was the thick rope around her wrist. Her breathing hitched and she looked from the rope to the sword in her hand, and then the walls. It was all piecing together inside her head, like a puzzle that was being completed in superspeed. She released the breath she was holding and closed her eyes as her shoulders sagged under the reality of her biggest fear.

"Hello again, Maeve," said a voice. One that Kali hadn't heard in over four years. She inhaled deeply and exhaled as she opened her eyes, her gaze locking onto his across the room.

Imperious.

"I thought I was done with you," Kali grumbled, her hand tightening around the hilt of her sword. "What is this? Why are we back here?"

Imperious smiled. His bandaging fluttering in the non-existent breeze. "You tell me," he said. "You're the one that created this place."

"Why would I trap myself here with you, of all people?" Kali asked. "This arena was destroyed the first time we fought in it."

Imperious laughed. "This place isn't real, little one, it's inside your head," he said. "It will always exist as long as you continue to come back here. So, tell me, why are we here?"

"If I knew the answer, and I don't, why would I tell you?" Kali asked. "Why would I even think of you? You're dead."

"Only in body. In spirit, I'm still with you," said Imperious. "I mean, we are the same blood, aren't we?"

"That's all we have in common," said Kali, shaking her head.

"Are you sure?"

Kali grit her teeth. The pressure on her sword hilt increased, and she felt the fabric of the sword pressing roughly against her palm. "We've been over this!" she snapped. "I am nothing like you. You're evil, I'm not. You lied to your fiancé, I -"

She broke off, her eyes widening. Now she understood why she had thought of this place, why she was stuck here with Imperious of all people.

Imperious grinned. "Go on, little one," he encouraged. "Finish what you were going to say. I lied to my fiancé, and you - what? You don't lie? You've never lied in your life? Not to you adoptive family? Your friends? What about your team-mates?" His eyes glinted maliciously.

Kali swallowed.

Imperious laughed.

This wasn't fair. Yes, she had lied to all those people, but she hadn't done it to hurt them. She had done it because she had to, because she needed to protect herself. Right?

"Say it, little one, say it with me - I am just like my father," said Imperious.

Kali felt her heart drop and tears appeared in her eyes. "No," she whispered. "No. I'm not like you."

"Are you sure?" Imperious asked. He was now less than a foot away and pressing in with every word he spoke. She could feel the cold air circling around him, the cause for his fluttering bandages, seeing as there was no air in the room itself.

But, wait, there had to be room for the fire to continue burning, right? Fire couldn't burn without a continued source of fuel. Fire liked to eat oxygen, so where was the oxygen coming from?

"Say it," Imperious said, his voice low. He had circled her and was standing behind her, his lips at her ear. His breath on her neck made her shiver and goosebumps sprung to life. "Say you're just like me. That you have always been just like me."

Kali's heart beat faster. Her life from three years ago raced through her head - the Mystic team, the Ninjas - all the pain she had caused with her lies… but all the good too. All the hate, and all the happiness. The fear and the hope. "I'm… nothing like you," she said, her voice quiet.

"Are you sure?" Imperious asked.

"Unequivocally," said Kali, turning to look him dead in the eye. She pressed her hands against his shoulders and pushed. Hard.

Imperious stumbled back, almost tripping over his bandages.

"I AM NOTHING LIKE YOU!" Kali yelled. She clenched her fists and looked down at the rope still around her wrist. Digging her fingers of her free hand under the fibre, she pulled, ripping it in two and tossing it aside. "What I did to you all those years ago? I'd do it again. Because it was the only way to stop you - it may have been what you would have done to me, and sure, I guess that makes us alike, but that is the only thing that we would have done the same."

Imperious scoffed. "We have two things in common, little one - blood and our willingness to do whatever it takes to survive," he said. "You're not learning from you mistakes, you're justifying them."

Kali shook her head. "I took a leaf from your book to destroy you," she said. "I haven't done anything like that since. I was honest about my past to Toby and the Mystics; I wasn't ashamed of what I had done or where I had come from. I'm not proud of stealing that car, but I wouldn't be who I am today if I hadn't have done it."

"And lying to the Ninjas?" Imperious asked.

"If I had told them the plan, they would've tried to stop me," said Kali. "They would've gotten hurt or worse killed trying to stop Lothor. He would've had the strength from the Abyss, and they wouldn't have stood a chance against him. I put myself on the front line, like I have always done, and took the power of the Abyss into myself, so they didn't have to. They stopped Lothor, and I unleashed that power and resealed the Abyss. I did my job."

"Yes, but you lied about it in the process," said Imperious. "You didn't tell them everything up front. They could've been hurt because of your deception."

Kali nodded. "Maybe. But, given the risks if they had known, not telling them was what saved their lives."

"But -"

"But nothing, Imperious," said Kali, shaking her head. "We are not the same. You're evil, but my deception, if you want to call it that, was a last resort. I did what I had to do because it was needed. No one but myself, holds it against me. Not mum, not the Mystics, not even the Ninjas. It was all part of the plan. A plan that Sensei was in on, I might add. I need to remember that more often. Sensei was part of the plan. Sensei knew what I needed to do, and he was the one who told me that the others would understand, in time."

Imperious took a step back.

"It's over, Imperious," said Kali, sheathing her sword on her belt. "This place," she motioned around her. "This place will no longer exist, you hear me. I am done comparing myself to you. Because we are not the same."

Kali turned away, eager to leave the arena she had conjured through her fears. She had taken but a step when Imperious' voice ricocheted off the walls, rebounding and echoing into the void.

"NO!" he boomed.

Turning back, Kali ducked under Imperious' sword, rolled forward and, her hand tightening around her sword hilt as she got back to her knees, swung it around. The tip of the blade severed through Imperious' body causing him to stumble back and drop his sword. He clutched the place she had speared him and fell to one knee, looking up at her.

"Further proof that I'm not like you," said Kali, tossing her sword onto the floor between them.

Defeated, Imperious sagged to the ground and disappeared. The firewalls and ceiling also fading, too.

~X~

Soon, Kali noticed, she was standing back in the clearing, facing Blu.

But she wasn't alone.

Kali stiffened, her eyes widening, and her throat became dry. "No…" she whispered, staring at the short brown-haired man with blue eyes.

But it couldn't be him, could it? Not here.

"Hello, Kali," said the man. "It's been a long time."

"Joe?"

Joe Briar smiled sadly as he stepped closer to his sister and cupped her face, brushing aside her tears with his thumbs. "It's good to see you," he said, dropping his arms and drawing her into a hug. He felt her arms wrap around him, squeezing him as tightly as she could.

Kali inhaled her brother's familiar scent sending her senses into overdrive. She pulled herself closer to him and buried her face into his shoulder, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes as she squeezed them shut. She wanted this to be so real. But, it couldn't be, could it? Not here of all places. Not in the Spirit World.

The siblings separated and Kali stared at Joe, tears blurring her vision. She shook her head, opened her mouth, paused, and then closed it again.

Joe chuckled. "I've never seen you so speechless," he teased. "What happened to the opinionated girl that I grew up with?"

"I - she -" Kali sighed and took a deep breath. He was right, she'd never been so speechless. She had always envisioned this moment. The moment where she got to see her brother again. She had rehearsed what she was going to say to him, what she would do. But it was all falling flat in the moment she needed to be strong.

The only part of her plan that had gone through perfectly was the hug. She got to hold Joe again.

"Haven't you missed me?" Joe asked.

That snapped her to attention.

"Missed you? Missed you!?" Kali repeated, her voice getting stronger and louder with each repetition. "What kind of question is that? Of course, I've missed you, you big idiot!" she punched his shoulder, surprised at how solid he was for a ghost.

Joe chuckled. "There she is," he said, happily. "For the record, I've missed you too. I always knew we would find each other again; I had just hoped it wouldn't be here."

Kali started, remembering where she was. She swallowed hard, pushing back the tears and looking around. The clearing was brightly lit with pink skies, dull grey grass and almost blue trees. "I don't understand," she said. "Why are you here? How are you here? Are you another phantom I have conjured like I did Imperious?"

"Is that what his name was?" Joe asked. "He's lucky I didn't break through your mind barrier and punch him. How dare he assume you're evil."

Kali smiled faintly. Leave it to Joe to be protective of her. At least something hadn't changed.

"What are you smiling at?"

Kali shook her head. "I'm just glad to see you," she said. "You haven't changed a bit."

"That's what happens here," said Joe. "You arrive on your deathbed, but after a few months - it feels like hours, to be honest - you're good as new again. When I came here six years ago, I had been caught in an explosion, a building had fallen directly on top of me, and I had died. It was quick and painless, but I couldn't believe it when I woke up. My body was broken, but within a few months I was back to normal. I met Blu after that, and she told me everything that had happened."

Kali glanced at Blu. "You told him everything?" she asked.

"You found your birth parents!" said Joe, happily. He squeezed Kali's shoulders. "You and Nick. After years of searching, I'm happy that you found them. Although, your father is a dick."

Kali laughed. "My father is evil," she said.

"How could he assume that you were anything like him?" Joe asked. "I liked your speech, by the way. Why should you be ashamed of your past? It's made you who you are."

"I thought you'd be mad at me," Kali asked. She remembered her fear under Eyesak's collar. Joe waiting for her in the interrogation room, his disappointment in her life choices.

"I'm not proud of your choices, Kali, but I'm not mad or disappointed in you," said Joe. "I'm confused. Why did you do it?"

Kali shrugged. "I could give an excuse, like I did Mom and Dad, but now, after all these years, the excuse sounds just like Imperious said - a justification," she admitted. "I guess I thought I could blame my rebellious behaviour on your disappearance. I went down the wrong path because you weren't there to keep me on the straight and narrow. But I still had Nick. I still had Ziva and Molly, even Mom and Dad. There is no excuse for what I did. I'm just sorry."

Joe drew her into another hug, leaving her sob into his shoulder. He run his fingers through her hair and whispered soothingly in her ear. When she had cried herself out, he pulled away and kissed her forehead. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," Kali whispered.

~X~

"Are you crying?"

Kali jumped and snapped her attention to her left. Theo, Casey, and Lily were staring at her. The former two had cocked their heads to the side, and their eyes were wide. Lily, however, was reaching for Kali with a soft expression. Her hand was soft as it wrapped around Kali's arm and squeezed.

"Where's Joe?" Kali asked, looking to Blu.

"He's safe," said Blu. "Octavia could sense your guilt at losing your brother, and therefore felt that seeing him would elevate your concerns on his disappearance, and help you find closure."

"But -"

"We're sorry for your loss, Kali, but now you can start to heal and move on knowing that your brother is okay."

Kali heaved a sigh and pressed her hands to her face. She drew them down, wiping away the remains of her tears and then glanced to the others again. "Did you find what you were looking?" she asked.

Casey, Theo, and Lily nodded.

"Good." Kali looked back at the Masters, "Thank you," she said. "For everything…" she caught Blu's gaze and her heart sank. She willed herself not to cry again. Instead, she inhaled deeply, and forced a smile. "We should be getting back. Dai Shi is still at large, and RJ needs our help."

"Normally we would be against you returning," said Master Guin. "But, given the circumstances. Instead, we shall give you a parting gift." She held her hand to her chest and withdrew a while glowing ball. She faced Lily and tossed the ball forward, watching as it sunk into Lily's chest.

Lily gasped and looked to her friends. "What was that?" she asked, facing her new Master again.

"The Spirit of the Penguin," said Master Guin. "You will be able to tap into a whole new level of power with it."

Theo and Casey faced their new masters as they, too, removed glowing balls of blue and red from their own chests. They lightly tossed the spheres at the pair, smiling as they sunk into their respective chests.

Kali eyed Blu. She wasn't the Chimera Master, so how could she pass on its spirit.

Blu smiled and looked up.

Kali craned her neck, a large multi-colored ball of black and purple descended through the trees and engulfed her. She felt a surge of power and warmth spread through her body, disappearing as it reached the tips of her toes and fingers.

"Master Chimera is impressed with you," said Blu. "She passes on her luck and apologizes for not being able to meet you."

"Good luck, Rangers," the four Spirits said.

Kali turned to the others. "Let's go home," she said. She snapped her fingers and the door leading to the Human realm reappeared.

Thanking the spirit Masters, the Rangers stepped through the door, and disappeared.

The gate closed with a snap.

~X~

"Rangers!" Dai Shi's voice boomed over the quarry. He was stood on a stone ledge and beside him, tied to a post, was RJ. "Hear me! Finish what we started or lose your beloved Master, forever."

Kali pushed forward, forcing as much energy as she could into her legs to keep her moving. She skirted around the corner and spotted Dai Shi and the others, her gaze sought out RJ's and she felt anger burn in her chest at the dark bruises that had started to form on his face. He had been beaten; she'd make sure that Dai Shi paid for laying a finger on him.

"We're ready for you!" Casey called, halting.

The others halted around him.

"But this time things are going to be a little different," said Lily.

Kali met Casey's gaze and nodded.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

"Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed!"

Dai Shi laughed, "I see you didn't learn last time," he said, shedding his cloak. He leapt into the air, summoning his armour, and landing with an almighty crash on the quarry floor. "It ends here, Rangers."

"For you, maybe," said Kali.

Dai Shi's gaze flickered to her. "Don't sound so confident, Hellhound," he said. "You won't seal me away in any abyss or box again."

Kali furrowed her brow but shook her head. She couldn't let herself dwell on what Dai Shi was saying. He only wanted to get inside her head, to psyche her out. She couldn't, she wouldn't, let that happen.

With a roar, Dai Shi lunged across the quarry. His intentions were clear from the way he angled his body in her direction - he wanted the Hellhound.

Lily side-stepped, putting herself between Kali and the rampaging lion. But Dai Shi was much stronger, still. He collided with the Cheetah and knocked her back into Kali, putting them both down. He then turned and tossed Theo and Casey aside with ease.

"We're still not strong enough," said Theo.

"Stop it, Theo," said Kali, snappily. She extracted herself from Lily and stood, pulling the Cheetah cub up by the arm. "We're not going to justify our losses. We're stronger than we give ourselves credit for, and Dai Shi knows it. The longer we believe that we don't have the power to stop him, the more hold he has over us. So, get up, and show him how strong we really are."

"But, how?" Casey asked, standing.

"Remember what the master's did before we left?" Kali asked. "What Master Guinn said - We would be able to tap into a whole new level of power with the spirits they gave us," she met Dai Shi's gaze. "Let's see how much more power we've got."

Casey met Theo and Lily's gazes and nodded. They all stood and crossed their fists across their chest.

Dai Shi stopped and stared, confused.

"Jungle Master Mode!" the four Rangers called out, clenching their fists and closing their fingers around the handle of a claw that appeared. Three metal claws extended out wards, and their bodies glowed as a white light enclosed the whole area.

"What are you doing?" Dai Shi demanded.

"Claw Booster!" the quartet commanded, extending their arms into the air. The ground beneath them shook as power spread through their suits, causing it to sparkle in the bright light. Drawing their arms down, the four Rangers pushed the claw booster out in front of them and slammed their free hand down on top of it.

Multi-coloured strands of energy, each one representing the Rangers individual colours, twisted and streaked up their arms, joining with those that crested their chests. There was an explosion of power, one that spread the white light out into the quarry and caused Dai Shi and his arm to block it out using their hands.

When the light cleared, the Rangers stood in side-by-side in blazing white spandex, their ranger colours across the shoulders and down the sides. Jet pads adorned their shoulders and slits in their sides reflected in the dim light, while a three clawed signature was represented on their chests.

"NO" Camille yelled.

"Impossible," said Dai Shi, shaking his head.

Kali grinned as she looked down at herself and then across at the others. "Not impossible," she said.

"Shadow Guards, help him!" Camille ordered.

The Shadow Guards landed beside their leader.

Kali smirked. "Ready?" she asked the others.

"Oh yeah!"

"Spirit of the Tiger, Full Fury! Jungle Master Red Ranger!"

"Spirit of the Cheetah, Full Fury! Jungle Master Yellow Ranger!"

"Spirit of the Jaguar, Full Fury! Jungle Master Blue Ranger!"

"Spirit of the Hellhound, Full Fury! Jungle Master Black Ranger!"

"We summon the animal spirits from within. Power Rangers Jungle Fury!"

Camille hissed.

Under Casey's orders, the four Rangers launched themselves across the quarry. Casey angled towards Dai Shi while Lily and Theo took on the Shadow Guards. Kali, however, took a running leap and landed on the edge above the battle, she caught Camille as the chameleon turned and pushed herself backward off the ledge, dragging the woman with her.

Camille screamed and struggled.

Kali released her as they hovered above the ground, and she landed with a crunch on the floor. Turning off her jets, Kali landed beside Camille and hauled her back to her feet. "This is what happens when people piss me off!" she growled, shoving her away.

Camille dusted herself off and narrowed her eyes at Kali. "If this is how you want it," she said, calling on her armour.

The pair run at one another. Kali ducked under a swing of Camille's arms and rolled back to her feet behind her, she pushed herself into the air and flipped over, activating her jets and hovering in the air. She distinguished them and dropped, landing on Camille and pushing her to the floor.

"I thought you'd put up more of a fight, Camille," said Kali, jumping off the chameleon and giving her a chance to get back up.

Camille hissed, tightened the grip on her sais and run at Kali.

Kali side-stepped and jabbed Camille in the back, knocking her into the rock face.

Breathing heavily, Camille spun around. "This isn't over!" she promised, pointing at Kali. "Mark my words."

"Consider them marked," said Kali.

The ground shook and Kali looked up to see the Shadow Guards towering over the city. She looked back at Camille only to find her gone; scanning the area, Kali shook her head and stepped back, took another running leap and landed on the ledge beside RJ for a second time.

"You okay?" Kali asked, slicing through his ropes with her Claw Booster.

RJ stumbled and Kali caught him in her arms. She sat him down, resting him back against the pole he had once been tied too.

"Kali, we could use your help!" Casey called over the coms.

Kali hesitated, looking at RJ.

"Go," RJ insisted. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm on my way!" said Kali. She leapt off the ledge and lowered herself onto the ground with her jets. "Spirit of the Chimera!" she called.

A massive creature with the body of a lion, the tail of a serpent, and the head of a goat appeared beside the other three spirit animals.

"What do we do now?" Theo asked.

"Combine your zords," said Kali. "Let's see how much power we have then."

The others nodded and did the same, while Kali channelled her Chimera spirit and magic into her own zord. It changed to an even bigger Megazord than that of her Hellhound.

"Hey, you got wings!" Lily exclaimed.

Kali glanced back and noticed the leathery wings at her back. She grinned and turned back to the last of the Shadow Guards. "Do your worst!" she challenged.

The Shadow Guard opened fire and Kali closed the wings of her zord around herself, absorbing the blasts into her systems. Unfolding the wings, Kali pushed forward and fired the blasts back at the Shadow Guard, rendering him to his knees.

"Finish it, guys!" Kali called to the others.

"Jungle Master Megazord… FULL FURY!" the trio called.

The Megazord spun in a rapid circle, unleashing multiple fireballs from either hand or assaulting the Shadow Guard with them.

He turned instantly to stone and exploded.

~X~

Three out of four Rangers raced into the loft, excitement rolling off them in waves. The last of the team half walked, half carried RJ and set him down on his chair, before turning to calm the others down.

"RJ!" Rylie cried, rushing down from the kitchen and throwing her arms around the Wolf Master. RJ groaned and Rylie pulled back, apologising over and over.

RJ smiled and drew her in for another hug. This one a lot gentler than the last. When they separated he looked around at the Rangers, a beaming smile on his face. "You guys were unbelievable," he said. "You really saved my hide."

"You would've done the same for us," said Lily.

"I don't think I would've gone to the Spirit world for you," Rylie muttered. She laughed as the others gasped gently shoved her off RJ's chair.

Kali rolled her eyes and pulled Rylie back to her feet. "Note to self, don't go to Spirit World next time RJ or Rylie is captured," she teased.

"Hey, what did I do?" RJ asked.

"Well, if we don't go for her then you may drop us as students," said Kali.

RJ smiled and shook his head. "Fair point," he said, tugging Rylie back onto his lap and pressing a kiss to her head. "Be nice, Little Wolf, they saved my life."

"And I thank them for it," said Rylie. "You really came through on your promise." She looked to Kali.

"I always do," said Kali.

A frown adorned RJ's face and he looked down at his chair, running his hand over the arm.

"What's wrong?" Casey asked.

"Someone's been sitting in my chair," said RJ. His gaze jumped to the snacks tables beside him, and he grabbed the chips bowl from it. "Someone's been eating my chips, too."

Kali furrowed her brow as the others shared confused looks.

"If you go to check your room, RJ, and find someone laying in your bed, I'm going to -" Kali cut off as Rylie scratched the back of her neck, awkwardly. "You know something," she said.

Rylie offered a guilty look at everyone present. "Yeah, well, um, you see, it's like this…" she stammered. "I was so worried about you all that I neglected my duties in the restaurant, and well, Fran was concerned for me and came to check-in, and well, she, kind of, sort of saw…" she waved her hands at the monitors.

"You mean -?" Kali asked.

Rylie nodded.

"Where she now?" Kali asked.

Rylie pointed towards the kitchen.

The team and RJ spun around and, much to their surprise, found Fran sitting on a stool drinking a milkshake, and watching them. She smiled as they met her gaze.

"Hello, Rangers. Power Rangers."

I actually cried while writing this! Originally, the plan was that Kali would never know what happened to Joe, but he is and always will be such a huge part of her life, I couldn't do that to her. So, when he popped up while writing this chapter, I knew it was fate.

And, yes, I know we didn't see Octavia this chapter, but we will.

Leave us your thoughts :)

~Twix