Mentor Ji was having a hard time. He had just delivered news that surely placed his youngest ranger in an emotional wave that he hopes won't drown her.
Mentor Ji is a kind man. He is living a lonely life, forbidden from talking to his family or even starting a family of his own until all of the nighlock are gone and the world is safe. The only family he has are the ranger teams that come and go. His first taste of having a family of his own was Jayden.
After Jayden's father died in battle, he adopted Jayden. At five years old, Jayden was the child mentor had longed to have. Mentor always wanted to get married and have a big family. He held onto hope that one day he would be able to get married and have kids. His hope is dying though. He is in his fifties.
Mentor Ji was the mentor of this set of rangers parents, as well. He helped train them. He nursed their wounds after a battle. He will always have a place in his heart for his rangers. This team is different though. They are all still children, to him. The oldest of this team, at 21, is Kevin.
This team is much younger than the others he acted as mentor for. They have become like the children he fears that he will never have. As a mentor, his only focus is aloud to be his duty to aid in the worlds safety. He had held on to hope that Jayden's father had sealed Master Xandred away, but alas his hope died when a mooger attacked the city.
He and Jayden held down the fort, until the first Nighlock arrived. After that, Mentor was sure that the team needed to be called. A mooger here and there left him uneasy but not certain of Xandred's survival. The Nighlock's arrival confirmed his fears. Master Xandred was sealed but not permanently. He would rise again. Stronger and vengeful, he would rise again.
Xandred is the only one who can control the nighlock. He is their master or their king, if you will. He rose to the top with the goal of making everything and everyone miserable. The more miserable everyone is, according to him, the better. He sends nighlock out to cause misery. The misery and the tears the nighlock cause help the Zanzu river rise. Their goal is to get the water level high enough that it floods the Earth. If the river floods the Earth, he will have a chance to tale over the world. The flooding it would create on the Earth would create pools that the nighlock could soak in. If the nighlock have these pools, they will never have to go back to the netherworld.
In light of that information, he sent word out that the rangers were needed. The Samurai powers are passed down from parent to child. Each generation of Samurai is trained by the last. With the exception of Emily, only the oldest child received the Ranger abilities.
Emily's case is a special and heartbreaking one. She has an older sister, Serena. Serena is eight years older than Emily. Serena was originally supposed to be the yellow ranger but she fell ill. She hid her illness, pretending to be okay, but ultimately she wasn't. She knew she was sick but she didn't want to worry her family and was trying to delay the inevitable future with Emily becoming the yellow ranger. She hid her illness behind a smile and cosmetic products until she passed out. She was transported to the hospital but by this time it was too late. They gave her medication, did numerous tests, but no one knew what was wrong. When Emily was twelve, they learned that Serena's medication would prolong her life but she ultimately wasn't going to make it. That night, Serena broke down as she handed Emily her ape folding zord. She hated that she was putting her sister in harms way because she fell ill.
By that time, Emily's mother had to try to teach Emily a life time of training in what they didn't know would be four years. Unlike the others who have been training to be rangers their whole lives, Emily had only been trained for four years. She is behind the rest. She is younger, smaller and less experienced but has a place in everyone's heart.
He tries to teach them everything he knows to help keep them safe in battle. He teaches them about the elements that their ranger powers are.
Jayden, the red ranger, is fire. he has power over and resistance to fire. Mia, the pink ranger, controls and harnesses the wind. Mike, the ranger in green, is forest. He has control over plants and can navigate the forest with ease. Kevin, the one in blue, controls and harnesses water. Antonio doesn't have an element, he is a self made ranger. Though he doesn't have an element, he is great with technology. Emily, the young yellow, is Earth. She is one with earth and can form rocks, dirt and other natural resources.
He has formed a bond with all of his rangers and it pains him to see any of them hurt, sad or scared. Tears sting his eyes as he remembers the look on her face as she fell to her knees. Her pained, agonized face is forever etched in his mind. Her sobs tear him apart.
He left the dojo as quickly as he entered it. He won't be of much help to her while struggling with his own emotions. He doesn't understand how such a sweet person could deserve such pain.
Emily is the one who makes people happy just by being there. Her childlike curiosity reminds them just how young she is. The smallest things that he takes for granted, fascinate her. It puts things in perspective for him. It humbles him. He no longer takes the small things for granted.
The happiness and cheer she brings, lights up the Shiba house. Though she tends to fall, Emily dances around the house with her blonde curls shimmering in the light. She is a small girl, at 5"2, but she has a big heart. She has a love for everyone and everything.
He, along with everyone else, is willing to do everything in his power to bring back her smile.