Mentor sighed loudly as he once again had to dig Emily out from a pile of dirt. His disappointed didn't go unnoticed by her. He hadn't shown a sign of encouragement since her training had begun in the morning. If anything, he was just getting more and more frustrated. Part of it was due to Emily being unable to summon up the strength to create the symbol she needed for the box. It was a tricky symbol, done purposely to keep anyone and everyone from getting whatever was inside the box. The former yellow Ranger never expected anyone to need the Earth and therefore she had locked it up so securely even her successor wasn't able to crack it open.

Another reason he was frustrated was because he didn't know how to help Emily. He had learned his lesson long ago with Mike: all Rangers needed to be taught differently. He knew Emily was energetic and playful and tried to use that to his advantage, but he was also learning she frustrated easily when she felt she wasn't making any progress and she was letting her team down. Her frustration caused her to make mistakes, mistakes made her feel like she was taking two steps backwards instead of one step forward, and this lack of progress only made her more frustrated.

He pulled her from the dirt and tried to brush her off but Emily stormed off. She grabbed her water from the ground and took a sip, keeping her back turned to Mentor. The older man let out a deep breath, which, again, didn't go unnoticed by Emily. She turned around to face him.

"I want a new partner," she demanded.

"I know you feel you aren't getting anywhere but…"

"But?" Emily pointed to the yard. It looked like someone had taken an abandoned rock quarry and had dumped it in front of the Shiba House. "Mentor Ji this is getting us nowhere! I'm scared if we continue I'll put myself in the hospital. Can't I just train with Mike again? I do well with him."

"I'm afraid Mike is no longer a suitable training partner. You have reached, if not surpassed his level of Symbol Power. There is nothing left to learn from Mike."

"There's nothing left to…" Emily turned to the house and glanced at the window that looked into the dojo, "If there's nothing left to learn from Mike why is Jayden, the best Samurai on the team, training with him?"

"Jayden and Mike have not been partners in months," Mentor reminded the yellow Ranger. "Mike will profit from learning from someone so much more skilled than he, and Jayden will benefit from Mike's unique style to improve his own battle technique."

"Fine, whatever. Give me Mia, or Kevin, or Antonio! Anyone but you!"

Mentor sighed and shook his head. He walked over to the bench by the side of the house and took a seat. He tapped the open spot next to him, inviting Emily to sit. She rolled her eyes and did so reluctantly. She had nothing against her Mentor but she couldn't believe there was no one else she could learn from aside from him.

Mentor looked out to the yard, "You have improved quite a bit since yesterday morning," he told her. "Mia's tutoring must have helped you."

"She's patient," Emily nodded. "She doesn't sigh and give me looks every time I mess up. She just tells me to forget about it and move on."

"Must like what your sister used to tell you."

"Yeah… I guess."

"Your mother must have taught you the same way," Mentor said. Emily stirred uncomfortably at the mention of her mother. Mentor Ji didn't make a habit of speaking of the former Rangers, and she found it slightly unnerving that he would bring up her mother only a few days after Emily saw her parents without his knowledge.

"Y-yeah. I don't know how many times I messed up, but mom always kind of laughed it off," Emily said. "And not the laughing at me kind of laugh. It was a good laugh. A laugh that made me laugh too."

"Did you enjoy your training?" Mentor Ji asked her. "Your mother, she made it fun for you?"

"Not intentionally," Emily shook her head. "It was always a lot of hard work, especially considering I was so far behind because of my late start. Some lessons ended in tears, but I still loved them. With Serena so sick and needing attention almost twenty-four/seven, training was the only time I really had mom to myself. She wouldn't leave me or get distracted by anything else… well, unless there was an emergency with Serena."

"Training was more than just swordplay and practicing symbols," Mentor commented. "It was bonding time for you and your mother."

"Just like helping around the farm was bonding time for me and dad," Emily nodded. "Serena needed someone by her side constantly, and there was always something that needed to be done on the farm. With only two parents, there wasn't much time left for the healthy child. Whatever time I did get with them was special… meaningful."

"I'm not an only child," Mentor said. Emily looked up at him curiously.

"What?"

"You are not the only Samurai with a sibling," Mentor smiled. "I grew up with five brothers and sisters. Each of them have taken off to fulfill their own destinies. Like you, I long for the day I can be reunited with them."

"You have a family?" Emily asked. Mentor Ji just laughed at her question.

"Of course. I wasn't hatched."

"I'm sorry," Emily's eyes widened and she gave Mentor an apologetic look when she realised what she had said. He smiled and shook it off.

"I know what you meant. I've been alone for so long, sometimes it slips my mind. When I first had to break contact with them, though, for years not a day went by where I didn't think about them."

"Are you trying to tell me you know how it feels to not talk to your family?" Emily asked. Mentor shook his head.

"I had five siblings, Emily. None of them were ever critically ill, but you can imagine just how busy both my parents were. My father had his own Samurai duties to take care of and my mother… well she had six kids and a job. My time with either of my parents was usually very short, and most times it involved me helping them out, but I always loved it, and to this day I cherish washing dishes with my mother, just as you cherish working on the farm with your father and training with your mother. It was never stressful because it important to you."

Mentor Ji stood up and reached into his kimono. He pulled out Emily's box and a piece of paper. He set the box down on the ground and then handed Emily the paper. She looked at it curiously.

"What's this?" she asked. On the paper there was nothing but a symbol Mentor had traced himself with ink. Emily couldn't read Japanese like Kevin, Mia or Jayden, but she was sure the symbol meant worthy.

"While you and the Rangers were out to dinner last night, I spent my evening studying your box," Mentor said. "I finally figured out which symbol the yellow Ranger used to seal it shut."

"Worthy?"

Mentor nodded his head, "The box will not open until you prove you are worthy of the responsibility of protecting the Earth Stone and using it wisely."

"I have to prove myself to a box?"

"I feel there is nothing more I have left to teach you. The rest of your training depends on you," Mentor placed his hand on Emily's shoulder. "When you think you have mastered the worthy symbol, open the box. It will sit here and wait for you."

"Mia's really going to have to help me out with this," Emily sighed and looked down at the paper.

"She would probably be very happy to help you," Mentor smirked. "There isn't much she can do with her broken wrist. I'm sure she's feeling a little left out and useless. Some time with her best friend might be nice."

Emily looked up at the older man as a smile tugged at her lips. She held the paper tightly in her hands and jumped to her feet. Before heading into the house to find Mia, Emily kissed Mentor on the cheek.

"Thanks, Mentor."