"What are you looking for?"

Kali looked up from her book as Nikki stepped out of the Rock Porium and made her way up the steps. "A way to change an animal back into a human," she said.

"A reversal transformation spell?" Nikki asked. "They're really tricky and require a lot of magic. What happened?"

"Your sister… she captured this… kid 10,000 years," said Kali.

"Flit."

Kali stopped and stared at Nikki, her eyes wide. "You know him?" she asked.

"You have to remember that 10,000 years ago I was evil," said Nikki. "Human lives meant nothing to me. Things may be different now, but I have to admit that I haven't thought about Flit in a long time. How do you know him?"

Kali returned her gaze to her book. It was hard sometimes to remember that Nikki had once been an evil vampire that had tried so many times to destroy her, especially since the human she had become was so kind-hearted and helpful.

"He helped us save RJ," said Kali. "But then your sister returned and took him captive again. I promised him that I would find a way to reverse what Camille did to him. But I have been researching all night and can't find anything."

Reaching over, Nikki took the book and examined the front cover. "Well, you're not going to find anything in Myths and Legends: Creatures of the Mystic Realm. Is something else going on besides Flit?"

Kali rubbed the space between her eyes and shook her head. "No. I just read when I am stressed," she answered. "I've done it since my brother disappeared, people just never really noticed.

Nikki nodded and returned the book. "How is life in Ocean Bluff?" she asked.

Kali shrugged. "Same as it was in Blue Bay Harbour and here, I guess," she said. "Well, the one differences between Blue Bay and Ocean Bluff is the Love Triangle."

Nikki chuckled. "Yes, that was an inconvenience for you Rangers," she said. "It was an opportunity for the Ten Terrors, though. They wanted so badly to exploit it."

"They did try," said Kali. "Hekatoid sprayed Nick and I, remember? We lost our morphin' abilities, so when Serpentina attacked, we were left behind and she picked the others off one-by-one."

"Ah, yes, good times," said Nikki.

Kali rolled her eyes.

"Okay. So, it was good times for Necrolai," said Nikki. "You know, when I was Necrolai, you intimidated me."

"I intimidated you?" Kali asked, surprised.

Nikki nodded. "You took to being the Hellhound so much faster than any other guardian, and your powers seemed to grow every day," she said. "It was fascinating to watch, but also a potential danger to both sides of the gate. I'm sure you've been told that the Hellhound is neutral, right?"

Kali nodded. "Daggeron told me after I destroyed Imperious," she said.

"Yes, that was a crucial tipping point," said Nikki. "You could've easily crossed into the darkness."

"Guess my link to the light was a lot stronger than expected."

Nikki nodded. "It was how I knew you and Nick would end up together more so than you and Xander," she said. "You and Nick were, are, connected on a more spiritual level than just a physical one. The Hellhound and the Phoenix, the Good and the Dark."

"I guess that explains why we always got on so well," said Kali. "I mean, even as kids, Nick and I were inseparable. I remember when we were in the children's home, we refused to be adopted without one another."

"I can imagine," said Nikki.

Kali smiled at looked up at Nikki. "Has fascinating as this conversation is, how does it help me with Flit?" she asked.

"It doesn't, but it takes your mind off whatever is stressing you out."

Kali smiled as she realised Nikki was right.

~X~

Rylie looked up from her morning coffee as RJ returned with a stocky blond in tow, she raised an eyebrow at his excited tone of voice, smiling as he returned to the kitchen. "I take it this was the Health Inspector?" she asked.

"Yep. Rylie meet Dominic," said RJ. "He was at Pai Zhuq with me before I left to find your father."

"Wait, you're the Rylie Wolfe that RJ gushed so much about in his letters?" Dominic asked.

Rylie blushed and RJ opened and closed his mouth, floundering for words.

"You know, for a split second, I thought he was going to pop the question," said Dominic, shedding his backpack. "That's how enthusiastic he was. Wait, if you're living together, does that mean -?"

"No!" said RJ, alarmed. He cleared his throat and shook his head. "No. No, we're not…"

Rylie pushed the sinking feeling in her stomach aside and, plastering on a smile, turned to Dominic. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dominic," she said. "RJ has told me all about his friends at Pai Zhuq, of course, but I'm sorry to say he didn't gush about you."

"I don't blame him. Next to you, I'm nothing," said Dom.

Rylie laughed. "You forgot to say how much of a charmer he was," she said to RJ.

RJ groaned and run a hand over his face. "So, Dom, how long can you stay?" he asked.

"I never stay in one place for very long," Dom replied. "So, I'll probably stick around for a day or two. I get antsy," he added to Rylie.

"Understandable," said Rylie, nodding. "Especially if you're trying to find your path. I hear missions like that are troublesome."

"You ever been on one?"

Rylie shook her head. "Nah, my dad was a little overprotective," she admitted. "I mean, what Pai Zhuq Master wouldn't be, right? Especially since he knew what was out there."

"Your father taught at Pai Zhuq?"

"Not the one in Ocean Bluff, no," said Rylie. "After they built the first one, several more popped up all along the coast. I'm originally from the Gold Coast Academy."

"Nice. I visited there recently," Dom said. "A little more laid back than Ocean Bluff."

"Yeah. They don't need to be as strict on the Gold Coast, especially since Dai Shi is locked away, or at least he was, at Ocean Bluff."

Dom cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean was?" he asked.

Rylie glanced at RJ. "He doesn't know?" she asked.

"I guess not," said RJ. It was a surprise to hear that a Pai Zhuq student didn't know that Dai Shi had escaped, especially since all other academies where warned about it the very day it had happened.

Dom looked between the pair. "Wow, have I been away for that long?" he asked. "What's gone on in my absence?"

"Well, this is going to come as a shock, but Master Mao has moved on," said Rylie. "He was destroyed the night Dai Shi escaped - the details are sketchy, but the gist of it was that a student may have been involved."

"A student was involved," said RJ. "You remember Jarrod?"

Dom nodded. "The quiet kid?" he asked. "Scared of his own shadow."

"Not so quiet or scared anymore," said RJ. "He is Dai Shi's newest vessel."

Dom swore under his breath. "What else have I missed?" he asked.

"The Mystic guardians -"

"Whoa, wait a minute," Dom interrupted. "Mystic Guardians as in the Mystic Realm Guardians? The Hellhound and all them?"

Rylie nodded.

"I thought they were hiding in Briarwood?"

"The Mystic Guardians don't hide," said a voice. Dom turned to find a brunette enter the loft and climb the stairs to the kitchen. She was striking, he noticed, with tanned skin, long brunette hair and brown eyes.

Rylie motioned to the new girl. "Dom, this is Kali Briar," she introduced. "The newest Hellhound guardian."

Dom looked Kali over from head-to-toe. She didn't look older than early 20s. "Hellhound?" he asked.

"You got a problem with that?" Kali asked.

Quickly, Dom shook his head.

Rylie and RJ shared amused looks.

"You been gone all night," said Rylie, drawing Kali and Dom's attention back to her. "Everything okay?"

Kali nodded. "I spent the night at Root core," she said. "I couldn't find anything to help Flit, though. I'm sorry."

Dom furrowed his brow. "Flit?" he asked.

"It's a long story," said RJ. "I'll tell you about it later. In the meantime, we have work to do. The others have opened the restaurant, but they have other chores aside from making Pizza. Dom, you -?"

Dom cut him off, nodding excitedly. "I'd love to make pizza," he said.

"Uh, well, we can't exactly leave you in the kitchen," said Rylie. "But I can ask Casey to find you a job?"

"Sounds fun," said Dom. "I'm open for anything."

"Great. Follow me and we'll get you set up," said Rylie. She led Dom out of the kitchen.

Kali turned to RJ. "Who's the jerk?" she asked.

"Dominic. He was an old friend at Pai Zhuq before he went on his mission," said RJ. "Thank you for looking for a way to help Flit. I know you didn't find anything, but still…"

"I'm not giving up, RJ," said Kali, shaking her head. "Flit will be saved. I just have to find the right spell."

RJ nodded, although he didn't seem to be listening.

"Do you need help in the kitchens today?" Kali asked. While she didn't exactly work at Jungle Karma Pizza, she did help out from time-to-time.

RJ smiled and nodded.

~X~

After seeing the disaster zone that was the kitchen, Kali quickly learned that Dominic was more of a jerk than she had originally believed. When he had arrived at Jungle Karma Pizza he had taken on the persona of a Health Inspector and caused hell in the kitchen, blowing flour in Casey's face, stripping the fridge of its milk and cheese, and smashing fresh tomatoes over Casey and Theo.

This was how Kali found herself browsing the fresh section of the local market, searching for more ingredients. In her hand she held a list that RJ had written, and over arm was the basket she had acquired at the door.

"I swear to god, Dom, if you pull a stupid stunt like this again, you'll face the wrath of my Emerald Blaze," Kali muttered, plucking several packets of fresh tomatoes from the shelf and adding them to her basket.

Jokes and pranks she could handle, she had, after all, grown up in a kids home where things like that ran supreme, and it wasn't like she wasn't accustom to it as an adult or even a Ranger. Both Chip and Dustin had been childlike in nature, and often too naive for their own good, but they didn't do stupid shit like destroying produce simply to complete their fake identity.

"Hey, you're the girl from the Wind Ninja Academy, aren't you?"

Kali blinked and looked up. Across from her in the second aisle was a familiar looking brunette male. She furrowed her brow, trying to remember where she had seen him before, it clicked when a second person popped up beside him, this time a tall, slinky blonde.

"Eric," Kali said, the name leaving her mouth before she could stop it.

The boy grinned. "You remember me?" he asked. "Score. Tally, you owe me $50. I told you the hot girl from the academy would remember me."

The blonde girl, Tally, rolled her eyes and offered Eric a note. "I'm honestly not surprised she remembered you," she said. "She ripped into you at the US Action Games and was terribly surprised when we arrived at the induction to the Academy."

Kali frowned between them. If they were part of the Academy, why were they here in Ocean Bluff? Academy training usually lasted ten or more years, at least that is what Tori, Shane, and Dustin had said happened. Granted, her own education at the academy was sped up while she was a Ranger, but she had still graduated at the end of the year with the others.

"He flunked out," Tally answered. "I graduated, and decided to take a year out from studying, and Kyle is still there. He's learning to become a Sensei."

"Oh. Um, cool," said Kali, unsure of what to say. She wasn't exactly friends with them and talking about a super-secret Ninja School outside of the Mystic Realm was breaking so many secrecy rules.

"What about you?" Eric asked. "What are you doing here?"

Kali held her list. What else would she be doing in a market? She obviously wasn't here to meet old friends, or to chat about things that didn't exist.

"Is that a JKP hat?" Tally asked. "I love JKP pizza. It's to die for, only problem is they don't sell it outside of Ocean Bluff - that's why we're here, if you're wondering."

She wasn't, but that didn't seem to deter the two teenagers from telling her anyway. Instead, Kali nodded once. "Well, it was good seeing you, I guess. But, I should get going," she said, trying feebly to get away. She needed to get back to JKP before the customers revolted without Pizza to settle them.

"Wait, I wanted to ask you something," said Eric. "You're probably gonna say no, but I'm going to try my luck anyway."

Knowing what was coming, Kali held up a hand. "You said you knew what I am going to say, so don't bother," she said. "I'm taken."

"Damn! I knew I should've asked you two years ago."

"I was taken then, too," said Kali.

Eric's face dropped. "Oh, come on! All the good looking girls are always taken," he whined. "What's a guy gotta do"

Spotting Tally's face, Kali bit back a smirk and met Eric's gaze. "Maybe instead of playing the field, you notice what's right in front of you," she said.

Tally's eyes widened and she blushed as Eric looked at her.

With the pair distracted, Kali turned and walked away.

~X~

"Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed!" Kali yelled, straightening her bike out on the empty stretch of road and racing towards the attacking Rinshi. She had been on her way back from the market when she had heard screams and decided to check it out - if it were a Rinshi attack the others would be on their way. What she didn't expect to find was her team already there and taking a beating.

Lily, Theo, and RJ looked around as Kali screeched to a halt beside them, pulled her feet up and planted them on the seat of her bike and then pushed herself into the air. She flipped over and struck the Rinshi General in the stomach and chest, knocking him backwards into his own troops.

"Glad you could make it," said Theo, as Kali landed, and he and the others crowded around her.

"No one called," said Kali. "I heard screaming."

"Did you get the tomatoes?" Lily asked.

Kali nodded to where she had parked her bike. "Where's Casey?" she asked.

"He's not answering," said Theo, shaking his head. "We've been calling for ages."

RJ spied the Rinshi General. "We need to keep him busy until Casey gets here," he said. "Let's go!"

The others nodded and followed RJ forward. They each broke off from one another as the Rinshi soldiers swarmed them, almost taking up the whole street.

"Whoa, these things are out in force today," said Kali, ducking under a swinging punch. She dropped to the ground, rolled over and back to her knees and held her hands up, catching the Rinshi's wrists while using them to pull herself up. She planted her feet into their chests and flipped over as it flew backwards, away from her.

With the Rinshi soldiers destroyed, the team regrouped as the Rinshi General stomped the ground in frustration.

"Guys!" Casey called.

"Where were you?" Theo demanded.

"I'll tell you later," said Casey, shaking his head. He stepped forward and pulled out his glasses. "Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed!"

Sensing trouble, Kali glanced around and furrowed her brow as she spotted Dominic hiding behind a car. "What is he doing here?" she asked, pointing him out to RJ.

RJ shook his head. "Dom, get out of here!" he called, waving his arm.

Popping out from behind his hiding space, Dominic rolled across the hood and planted a kick in the Rinshi's side. Growling, the Rinshi General turned and grabbed Dom's shoulders, throwing him over his head and into the street.

Dom landed on his feet, turned, and made a beeline for more parked cars on the opposite side of the street. The Rinshi General followed him, growing more and more frustrated and annoyed as Dom weaved this way and that, making it harder for him to get caught.

"Stay still!" the Rinshi General yelled, slamming his fists into a car and sending it skidding over the pavement and towards a child who had been playing on the grass.

"No!" the Rangers yelled.

The child looked up, her eyes widening as she gripped her toy doll tightly in her arms.

"Gotcha!" Kali said, appearing behind the small child and scooping her up. She jumped up and landed on top of the car as it came to a standstill. The girl whimpered and buried her face into Kali's shoulder.

"Mary!"

Kali looked around as the child's mother rushed towards her. She met her halfway, handed the child over, and told the pair to get to safety. With them gone, Kali turned back to the Rinshi General and grit her teeth. "I've had enough of you!" she yelled, summoning her Jungle Blades and running forward, she leapt into the air and shouted, "Darkness Wave!" and slashed down as she landed.

The wall of flames hit the Rinshi General, and he disappeared.

"Way to go, Kali!" said Casey, as he and the others regrouped around her.

"Dom, are you alright?" RJ asked, clapping his friend on the shoulder.

"Never better. You should have told me you guys were Power Rangers," said Dom. "I've heard so much about the team that protects Ocean Bluff, granted I didn't know you were fighting the Dai Shi, but you guys are famous!"

Kali rolled her eyes. Power Rangers had been famous for many years and in many cities, not just Ocean Bluff. "Where were you?" she asked Casey.

"Sorry. I got held up," said Casey, his head turning in Dom's direction.

"Figures," said Kali. She should've had an idea that Dominic had something to do with Casey's lateness to battle.

~X~

Theo laughed as Casey explained the reasons behind why he hadn't received their calls for help.

"It wasn't my fault," said Casey. "I couldn't hear them from the trash bin while I was in the bathroom."

"How did you not notice them in the trash?" Kali asked Dominic.

"I didn't even realise I had knocked them off the side," said Dom. "I was talking with Fran about books."

Kali scoffed and turned away.

"All right, dudes, cool your jets," said RJ, sensing the rising tension. "It's all water under the bridge at this point."

"I want to join you," said Dom, earning himself everyone's attention. "Help you fight Dai Shi. Mater Mao told me I'd find my path when I least expect it, and, man, when I tell you that I wasn't expecting this. I mean, I feel like I've wandered in the dark for almost six years and today the sunlight finally hit my face."

Casey shared a look with Kali. "I don't think that's a good idea," he admitted, turning back to Dom.

"I agree," said Theo. "Everything is a big game to you, someone would get hurt."

"Please, just give me a chance," Dom begged.

Kali stepped forward. "I wonder if that mother and her child will feel the same way if you ask them that?" she asked. "Give you a chance, the same person that caused a Rinshi general to send a car crashing towards an innocent?" She shook her head. "Theo's right, you're a safety hazard, and I don't trust you."

Casey and Theo followed Kali from the lot.

Lily hesitated, glanced at Dom, and then chased after them. "Guys?" she called.

~X~

"I know that look…"

Startled, Kali looked up, her eyes wide as Cam and Tori settled into the seat opposite her. Her surprise quickly turned to confusion and her brow furrowed as she lowered her book and sat up. She had been sitting length ways, her feet on the booth seat beside her and her back pressed against the wall.

"What are you guys doing here?" Kali asked.

"Lily called me," said Tori. "She said that you have a situation to handle and feels that you could handle it a lot better than you had."

Kali rolled her eyes. "Your sister is as annoying as you are," she mumbled.

Tori laughed.

"So, what's the big decision?" Cam asked. "Maybe we can help?"

Kali sighed and looked across the parlour to where Dom was serving a couple of kids at table 8. "Him," she said, indicating with her head.

Cam and Tori glanced around.

"What about him?" Cam asked, looking back at Kali. This had been the first time he had seen her in two years, and the last time had been a little rocky given what she had done to him and the others. But he had forgiven her after his father had explained the situation.

"His name's Dominic. He was a Pai Zhuq student six years ago. Master Mao sent him on a mission, of sorts, to find himself, and now he's back. He wants to join us as a Power Ranger."

Tori cocked her head to the side. "What's stopping you from letting him?" she asked.

"He's a safety hazard."

Tori and Cam shared a look.

"I know what you're thinking - how bad could he be, right? - well, just today, he interfered in a Rinshi attack and almost crushed a young girl beneath a car."

Tori winced. "Ooh. I can see why you'd be standoffish," she said. "But, Dustin was a little like that, if you remember?"

"Dustin never put anyone in mortal danger," Kali defended. "Everything is a joke to Dominic. One big game. I can't trust someone like that, and definitely not in the field. I need to know he's going to keep his wits about him and know the area, before engaging with the enemy."

"Maybe he just got a little excited?" Cam offered.

Kali shook her head. "That doesn't change anything," she said. "Being a Power Ranger isn't a game, you both should know that better than anyone."

"We do, Kali," said Tori. "But, you of all people should know that all work and play is a dangerous game. What happened to you? Sure, you were serious about stopping Lothor, but you were never this serious about it. You knew when to have fun. Remember the US Action Games? You were able to let loose during those."

Kali winced.

Cam frowned. "Wait a second, this isn't just about Dom being a safety hazard, is it?" he asked. "You're still beating yourself up about the Games, about what you had to do to get Lothor to open the abyss. Kali, we've been over this, you we don't blame you for any of that."

"Yeah, we understand why you did what you did," said Tori. "Sure, it hurt straight off the bat, but Sensei explained the whole thing, so did the other Mystics. You have to let it go."

"I can't," Kali whispered. "I can't just let go of the fact that I hurt you all. You more than anyone, Cam. I attacked you and then put you under a sleeping spell, hell, I destroyed Ops and you worked hard on creating it."

She may have faced her 'fears' in the Spirit World, but Blu had said that while she had done that the fears would still exist. They would never fade away, but they wouldn't haunt her as much as they did, and up until she had seen Tori and Cam in the flesh, they hadn't.

Cam shook his head. "You made sure that I didn't get hurt," he said. "Sure, the sleeping spell was a surprise, and at the time I was scared that you'd hurt Dad, but when I saw him in human form after waking up? I was more overjoyed than anything. Besides, if we thought you really had joined Lothor then we wouldn't have come looking for you."

Kali sighed. That was true. Hunter, Blake, and Cam had come all the way to Lothor's ship to search for her. Granted they hadn't found her because she was already on Earth. But the intentions were still there. They still cared enough to put themselves in danger for her.

"Water on the double!"

Theo's voice booming from across the room caused Kali to look up, she frowned as she watched he and Lily dash into the kitchen and return with four jugs of water and started distributing it between the patrons.

"I said pepper," said Casey, stepping out of the kitchen carrying a jar. "Not hot chilli pepper."

Kali sighed and looked back at Cam and Tori. "See what I mean?" she asked, sliding out of the booth. "Safety hazard."

Cam and Tori exchanged looks like Kali headed over to help.

~X~

Kali dried her hands on a towel as RJ explained Dominic's departure. He had just finished when Fran walked in, carrying an empty tray.

"Dominic left?" Fran asked, her eyes wide as she stared at RJ.

"It's for the best, right?" Casey asked. "I mean, we gave it a try and it didn't work."

Kali nodded. She hadn't been around much since the incident with the chili pepper, but she had heard about the other issues Dom had caused.

"Did you really?" Fran asked. Her voice wobbled as she tried to hide her hurt. "So, he jokes around? I kind of liked it."

"Me too," said Lily.

Kali met Casey's gaze and shrugged. "It's one thing to joke around," she said. "But it's another thing to put people in danger because of it. I'm not just talking about the kid who was nearly crushed. What about the chili pepper incident? Or what about training? He's lucky that Rylie and RJ had the sense to duck when they did. He's going to do something goofy one day, and it's going to get someone hurt."

The phone rang and Fran dashed over to answer it. "Yes, sorry, I'll get those pizzas to you straight away," she said, hanging up. She turned to the others, prepared to say something before sighing, snatching the pizza boxes of the side and storming out of the kitchen.

Lily nudged Casey.

Casey sighed, untied his apron and chased after Fran.

Kali shook her head and looked away from the door, pausing as she found the others staring at her. "Don't look at me like that," she said. "I don't have time for people who don't take what we're doing seriously. This isn't a game, and it's not something that just anyone can sign up for."

"We don't even know what Dom is capable of," said Rylie. "From what I know, the spirit of the Rhino is pretty strong. He could be the push we need in stopping Dai Shi once and for all."

Kali sighed and lowered her gaze. Could she have been wrong?

~X~

Arriving at the scene, Kali watched with wide-eyes as her team were thrown from a steep bridge. She winced as they hit the ground with sickening crunches and run towards them. "Hey!" she yelled, jumping over her fallen teammates and scissor-kicked the Rinshi General away from them. She didn't know his name and realised that she hadn't asked the others about it, either.

"Took you long enough!" Theo snapped.

Kali ignored him and removed her glasses. "Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed!" she called, morphin' instantly. "I sound like a broken record, but where's Casey?"

"He's on his way," said Lily.

The Rinshi general laughed and stomped the ground. "It doesn't matter whether there is four of your or five! It's over! Once I am through with you, the entire city will fall next."

"Don't bet on it!" shouted Casey. He raced forward, leaning forward into his strike rider and meshing with it. He hit the hyper speed and struck the Rinshi General, sending him flying back into a building.

While Crocoville - Lily had informed Kali while Casey did his thing - struggled to free himself from the building, the Rangers regrouped and, much to their surprise, found Dom joining them.

"Dominic!" Lily gasped. "I thought you left?"

"I almost did," Dom confirmed.

"Right, well, you better step aside for now," said Theo. "We've got a job to finish."

Casey placed his hand on Theo's shoulder. "Easy. Give him a chance," he said, almost defensively. "You may be surprised." He turned to Dominic. "Ready?"

Dom nodded and stepped towards Crocville. He had finally extracted himself from the debris and was angrier than ever.

"Dom, wait," said RJ, holding out a bracelet. "This will power up your Rhino spirit."

"Thanks. Rhino Morpher' initiate!" Dominic called. It transformed into a weapon. "Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed!"

Kali shivered as she felt a surge of power, it was different to the one she usually felt when she morphed, and she realised all to soon that it was coming from Dom. His animal spirit must've been as strong as Rylie claimed it to be, especially if she could feel it during his transformation.

"Bring it on!" Dom challenged.

"That Croc has met his match," said RJ. Kali could hear the grin in his voice.

Folding her arms, Kali watched as Dom, using his Rhino Blade, sliced and diced through Crocville, destroying him within seconds.

"Now that's what I call Rhino power," said Casey, leading the way over to Dom. He clapped him on the shoulder as the others offered their congratulations.

"Thanks," Dom said, smiling. He set his sights on Kali and tensed, ever so slightly.

Reluctantly, Kali held out her hand. "Welcome to the team," she said.