The Rangers, Kelly and RJ looked over at the woman in awe, lost for words.
"M-master Engel?" RJ finally managed to mutter, but that didn't mean he wasn't still shocked. "It... it can't be... you're dead!"
"Dead, shmead," the Master waved her hand and laughed. "I'm the Great Master Engel, I'm surprised no one realised I can do what I want."
"Great Master?" Casey asked, turning to RJ. He hadn't been at the Pai Zhuq for long, but on the first day he had received an orientation about Pai Zhuq ancestors, and the Great Master was not among the ones Mao talked about.
"Masters nowadays," the Master sighed, shaking her head in disappointment, "too lazy to tell their cubs what really happened on that fateful day. No wonder the story behind the Order of the Claw is messed up."
"It's messed up?" Kelly frowned. She had heard about the Order of the Claw from Leanne. It made sense. Now this woman was telling her it was messed up.
"Let me tell you what really happened on that fateful day, ten thousand years ago," Master Engel began.
-----Jungle-Fury-----
"Class dismissed," a young man, maybe in his early twenties, smiled as his students bowed to him and walked off.
"Class dismissed," a young woman laughed, walking up to her friend and putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Why are you mocking me?" the man frowned, looking down at his fellow Master.
"Because it's you," the woman laughed. "I still can't believe you're teaching other people how to unleash their animal spirits, when you were still a cub not a year ago!"
"Evangeline, you only became a Master a few weeks before I did," the man laughed, poking Evangeline on the nose.
"I know, but it's still weird!" Evangeline laughed. "And your Master name is funny. It sounds like someone forgot how to pronounce Gorilla! He-he, Master Rilla... now that's hilarious!"
"At least my name has something to do with my animal spirit," Master Rilla smiled. "What does and Engel have to do with leopards?"
"I don't know, but it's awesome!" Evangeline, Master Engel, smiled.
"Are you two going to stand there all day?" another man asked, looking over at the two Masters. Like Master Rilla and Master Engel, this man had a claw tattooed onto his forearm, symbolizing that he was a master.
"No, just half, then maybe another half," Master Engel laughed, jumping down from the elevated platform so she could talk to the Master face to face.
"That makes a whole day," the Master frowned.
"Lope, chill," Engel smiled. "Half plus a half makes almost a whole."
Master Lope looked down at the blonde before him. Engel looked up at him and smirked. "This little talk doesn't count, but it is deducted from the whole."
"Whatever," Master Lope sighed, rolling his eyes. "Master Guinn's waiting for us in the forbidden room. We better go before we all end up on detention duty."
"Who made her boss?" Rilla frowned.
"Um... we did," Engel laughed. "We had a vote. Don't you remember, I was too childish to lead, you were too... unconfident and Lope was too... he didn't work."
"I still disagree with that!" Lope frowned. "And you weren't too childish, you had a child."
"SHH!" Engel whispered, covering Lope's mouth. "If the spirits hear you I'm going to be kicked out of the Academy!"
"Just leave her in my care, and I'll keep my mouth shut," Lope smirked.
"Are you kidding?" Engel laughed. "I'm not leaving my baby with you! I actually want her to have fun. You're too... serious! And eat something will you, you look like an antelope!"
Lope rolled his eyes again at his friend's comment. "Well, then, I guess Rilla's not getting the kid if you ever die," he laughed. "He eats too much. Lay off the bananas, will you?"
"I can't help it if I'm always hungry," Rilla laughed, patting his stomach. Engel tilted her head as she examined her friend.
"Grow a white beard, maybe then you can turn into a jolly old man who hands out presents to cubs!" she teased.
"I'll ignore that," Master Rilla laughed. As the three approached the Pai Zhuq temple, there was a loud clap of Thunder as a black, three headed Dragon, descended from the sky.
"The Powz is that?" Engel frowned, looking up at the dark sky.
"It's Dai Shi!" Rilla growled.
-----Jungle-Fury-----
Master Lope, Rilla and Engel found themselves in a fight against the darkest evil to ever walk the planet. Even if they were trained to stop the Dai Shi, they were still struggling to hold their own. Even when Master Guinn joined them they didn't improve.
Dai Shi, in his human form, finally had all four Masters where he wanted them: on the ground begging for mercy.
"Bow down to me, or you'll spend the rest of your days in the spirit world with Master Mane!"
"Never!" Engel yelled, getting to her feet and standing protectively in front of the others.
"Engel!" Master Rilla frowne,. "Don't be stupid!"
"Evangeline... you can't stop him on your own!" Guinn warned her. "At least... not without destroying yourself."
"I have to, Master!" Engel frowned.
"We'll figure out another way! We can't lose you!" Guinn cried.
"Promise me you'll protect my daughter?" Engel asked, turning to Master Guinn and smiling.
"Of course..." Master Guinn smiled weakly. She had to accept what was about to happen. Nothing was going to stop Engel. She was stubborn as hell, especially when it meant protecting her friends.
"You think a master cub can stop me?" Dai Shi laughed. "Master Guinn was hardly a challenge, what good will you do for your friends?"
"This!" Engel smiled, unleashing her leopard spirit. The cat jumped to Dai Shi, entering in his body, destroying the monster from the inside.
"NO!" Dai Shi yelled, holding his head as he felt his body disappear.
"You're weak without your body. Enjoy life as an energy blob; cursed to walk the earth as nothing more than a dark cloud!" Engel yelled.
Before completely losing his body, Dai Shi lunged forward, tackling Engel down and digging his clawed hands into her body. As his body disappeared, so did Engel.
"Eva..." Master Guinn cried.
"What..." Master Lope frowned, "You can't... her spell..."
"Wasn't complete!" Dai Shi laughed. "And now she's dead!"
With that, Dai Shi's spirit was pulled away, leaving the academy in ruins and three masters to mourn the loss of their friend. In the distance, Dai Shi was trapped inside a box, while Master Engel's spirit looked down on it. She locked the box before vanishing.
-----Jungle-Fury-----
"Master Guinn!" Rilla yelled, catching the penguin Master as she flew through the air. He carried her down into a bunker, closing the door behind them as they hid, along with Master Lope.
"I don't get it!" Lope growled, kicking the wall to let out his anger. "Dai Shi's in the box... Camille's the only one left. How can we not win?"
"We can't give up," Master Guinn frowned, picking up a child from its crib. "Eva died to make sure we'd defeat Dai Shi and his alliance. We can't let her sacrifice go to waste!"
"Master... we'll die if we go out there!" Lope stated. "And you have her child to raise."
"I never promised her I would raise her daughter. I promised her I would protect her! If sacrificing myself means I can live up to my promise, then I'm going out with my honour!" Master Guinn yelled.
"How are you going to do that if you're dead?" Rilla frowned.
"You and Lope go out there, distract Camille until I return," Master Guinn ordered, wrapping the young child in a blanket and placing her in a cloth carrier.
"Where are you going?" Rilla asked.
"To the temple. The spirits will protect the child until the end of this war," Master Guinn said as she opened the trap door and ran out.
"If we make it out alive..." Lope breathed.
-----Jungle-Fury-----
"... And you guys know Master Guinn, Lope and Rilla died protecting the world from Camille," Master Engel sighed, looking to the skies briefly. "Fortunately, they won the war, but it came with a price."
"How?" Theo frowned. "You won... the master passed on, but the world was safe."
"The world was never completely safe," Engel sighed. "My daughter lived on long enough to start her own family, but passed away shortly after. She had no one to care for her, and it finally caught up with her. Every sickness she had, that she thought she cured only added on to her suffering before death."
"I'm sorry, Master," RJ sighed. Engel smiled at him.
"Don't be," she said. "Kayleigh lives on with me now, we're happy. But that still doesn't mean life is good...Dai Shi was trapped in a box. Everyone in the spirit world knew that one day he would escape. We created the forbidden room to keep his allies from finding him. We locked Camille in Dai Shi's temple so she couldn't come back to the earth. Lope, Rilla, Master Guinn and I wanted to make sure nothing could happen, and we knew a school full of cubs wasn't going to confine Dai Shi forever. Someone was going to stumble upon the room and open the box..."
"That's when the Order of the Claw was formed," RJ smiled.
"Exactly," Engel nodded. "The Order of the Claw was made to protect this earth from Dai Shi, yes, but it was also created for us Masters. With human guardians watching over the box, we could choose one of them to embody our spirits. Four guardians with the power of Masters."
"But... Guinn, Lope, Rilla... unless those are from a messed up Pai Zhuq-ian language for Cheetah, Jaguar and Tiger, these guys don't have your powers," Kelly frowned, pointing to her friends. She then turned to Kaylee. "And Engel... that doesn't even fit with an animal..."
"Kelly," Engel smiled, surprising Kelly. She knew her name. "It's not because of their animals spirits they were chosen."
"Then why?" Theo frowned.
"Master Lope, the master looking out for you, Theo, based his fighting style on technique. He had to be the best there was, and he had to look good doing it."
"Yep, sounds like Theo," Casey laughed.
"Master Rilla, your master, Casey, fought with strength. He used his power against his enemies. He would always use raw strength and courage to overcome any challenge."
Engel turned to Lily and smiled, "Lily, your bond with Kaylee is no accident," she said, confusing the girl.
"I'm sorry?"
"You fight with heart, honour and passion. You protect those around you and take it upon yourself to help them," Engel explained. "You're a lot like my sister, Master Guinn, in that sense, but unlike you, Guinn never fought with the heart you possess."
"Huh?" everyone frowned.
"Master Guinn fought bravely, yes, but she fought for victory. She fought because she had to; it was her duty. Lily, your spirit comes from the leopard."
"Kaylee's animal?" Lily frowned, looking down at the bed, where her "sister" was still passed out.
"My animal," Engel smiled. "I posses the spirit of the Leopard, and it was because of me the cheetah was born. When I stood up to Dai Shi to protect my friends, I fought with the heart that cheetah masters possess. When I passed on, that heart was embodied as the cheetah, and it lives on through you."
"So, if Rilla protects Casey, Lope protects Theo, who protects Lily?" RJ asked.
"It is still Master Guinn," Engel nodded. "She's taken it upon herself to look after you. You may have more heart than she does, but that makes no difference. Master Guinn felt a strong bond with you."
"Then, I guess you protect Kaylee," Lily said.
"Kaylee fights for what's right. She uses strength, technique and heart to win battles. She fights honestly and protects her friends. She is the guardian I chose."
"Well, if you possess the leopard spirit then you can help us fight the fingers!" Theo smiled as the alarm went off. "Kaylee can't do it, and it's the only way we can stop Stingerella and Toady."
"What do you say, Master Engel?" RJ asked.
-----Jungle-Fury-----
"So, you've come back for a final beating?" Toady laughed as the three Rangers arrived on the scene.
"Only this time, you're the one who's getting beat, right guys?" Casey called.
"Right!"
Stingerella and Toady laughed, "Us? You could barely blow us over when you were four? Now you think the three of you can..."
Stingerella's words were cut short as Master Engel walked into the scene. The claw cannon appeared in her hand. The other three bent down to hold it as she smirked.
"Tell Dai Shi I'm back," Engel smiled, firing the cannon. The two fingers were blown into the air, landing roughly on the ground before taking off.
"Dai Shi's not going to be happy with us," Toady frowned, helping his lover up. The fingers ran off, fearing for their lives. They were at the mercy of Master Engel now.
Little did they know, that their lives were in no less danger back in the temple; for as soon as Dai Shi would hear of their failure and of the return of Master Engel, he would destroy them.
"Yes!" Casey cheered, jumping into the high and high-fiving his teammates. Master Engel watched on happily.
"They weren't that tough," she laughed.
"Master, you're called great for a reason," Theo smiled. He turned to his friends, "Casey, if you wanna come with us to lunch, now that those two are gone... you're more than invited."
"No, Theo, it's okay," Casey said. "You two go on your appointment... I'll go check up on Kaylee."
-----Jungle-Fury-----
"Master," Casey began as he stepped into the loft, with Engel by his side, "earlier you mentioned your daughter... Kayleigh... is it...?"
"No," Engel laughed, "Kaylee is not my daughter... technically."
"Technically?" Casey frowned, "That sounds confusing."
"She is my descendant," Engel nodded, "the second to last descendant on my family tree."
"So she's your great, great, great... granddaughter?" Casey asked.
"Yes," Engel nodded.
"Weird," Casey smiled. "So... you're like..."
Casey was cut off when a seemingly angry Kaylee pushed past him, storming away from RJ and Kelly. He grabbed her arm and held her back, turning her so she was facing him.
"Where are you going, Danger?" he asked.
"I'm going to get Dustin back."
"Kaylee, that's insane!"
"SHUT UP!" Kaylee yelled at Kelly as a fresh wave of tears fell from her eyes. "I know he's in there somewhere. I can't just sit around here and do nothing! I have to help him."
"You're only going to get hurt," Engel said gently to Kaylee. The blonde looked up at the new person and frowned.
"The hell is she?" she asked, pointing to Engel as she looked at Casey. "Never mind, I'm gone."
"Kaylee wait!" Kelly yelled, running after the blonde, but in a flash of green light, she was gone.
ZWOP!
-----Jungle-Fury-----
Blinded by rage, Kaylee walked into Dai Shi's temple. In her mind, she expected Dai Shi to look at her, and in that moment, Dustin would surface and everything would be okay. But she knew she was far from reality.
That didn't stop her from pushing the doors to the throne room open and standing before Dai Shi and Camille, smirking menacingly as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Well, well, if it isn't the black and blue Ranger," Camille laughed, stepping forward to attack, but a hand from Dai Shi pulled her back. He stood up from his throne and stepped down.
"What are you doing here, Green Ranger?" he asked.
"I want my fiancé back," Kaylee growled, dropping into a fighting stance.
"How cute," Camille smiled, "she thinks she can take us."
"I've fought worst than you, Camille," Kaylee frowned, "I know I can take you."
"Really? Because our last battle would prove you wrong," Camille smirked. She then pointed to her cheek and laughed, "You got a little something on your face."
"That's enough, Camille," Dai Shi barked, pulling Camille away. "If the green Ranger wants to fight, then she'll get her fight."
"Thank you, mast..."
"She'll fight me," Dai Shi pulled off his cloak, but remained in his human form. "Hit me with your best shot, green Ranger.
Kaylee tried to move forward. She tried to lift her arm to punch the man before her, but she couldn't. It was Dai Shi who she would be fighting, but she wouldn't be hurting the monster... she would be hurting the man she loved.
"I can't," Kaylee sighed, lowering her head. Dai Shi smirked, lifting his hand in front of him.
"That's what I thought," he said. He flicked his wrist upwards, sending a beam of energy towards Kaylee. The blonde flew back into a wall, opening some of her wounds as she slid down, landing in a heap on the floor. Dai Shi walked over to her and knelt down, grabbing her arm and pulling her up slightly so she could look at him.
"I hope you came here to die, green Ranger," he lifted his other hand, striking Kaylee's cheek with it. Dai Shi laughed, throwing Kaylee onto the ground and kicking her in the stomach.
"Your fiancé is gone, green Ranger! He's dead!" Dai Shi yelled. "It is only me, Dai Shi, who lives in this body."
"NO!" Kaylee yelled, getting to her feet. Dai Shi quickly grabbed her, pushing her into the wall with one arm. The other arm grabbed her wrist and turned it over.
"Always loved?" he asked, reading the tattoo.
"It's your daughter," Kaylee whispered to Dai Shi, hoping to reach Dustin.
"Samantha's dead!" Dai Shi yelled, slamming Kaylee's back into the wall, knocking the wind out of her. The hand holding Kaylee's wrist let go, and Dai Shi held it up as it turned into a claw. "Just like you!"
Dai Shi brought the claw down, nearly striking Kaylee in the chest until he was pushed out of the way. Kaylee dropped to the ground, falling out of consciousness before she hit the cold floor.
Dai Shi was being pushed around by an angelic light, keeping him away from Kaylee. He finally landed a punch on the light, knocking it over to Kaylee. The light around the figure disappeared, leaving a seven month old infant with curly blonde hair. It was obvious that without the light around her, the infant could barely walk, let alone attack Dai Shi once more.
The evil dragon laughed, advancing towards the infant and Kaylee.
The infant looked up before touching Kaylee with her hand, and suddenly they were both gone.
-----Jungle-Fury-----
When Theo and Lily returned from lunch they were told about Kaylee running off. Lily had suggested going after Kaylee, but Master Engel stopped her, saying Kaylee would find her own way back.
"I should have watched her better," Kelly sighed, sitting on the couch, hugging a pillow. "I knew she was going to run off..."
"This isn't your fault, Kelly," RJ assured her, sitting next to her and pulling her closer to him for comfort. "Kaylee's a free spirit. She'll do what she wants, even if it means getting hurt."
"You don't have to tell me," Kelly whispered.
Suddenly, a green light filled the room as Kaylee and the infant appeared. Kaylee was still out cold, but the infant was wide awake. Master Engel ran over, picking up the infant and smiling.
"You did good, Sam," she said, before the child disappeared.
Kaylee was finally starting to come to, and Lily was immediately by her side, helping her up and over to the couch.
"You're a bitch," she smiled to Kaylee, hugging her friend. "I hate you."
"I had to, Lil," Kaylee forced a smile through her pain. Lily looked down at her, unimpressed. "I'm sorry?"
"If you ever run off like that again..."
"Sorry, Tori," Kaylee joked, before pulling her friend in for another hug. "I'm sorry I scared you."
"Don't do it again, please," Lily whispered, letting a few tears fall from her eyes as she rested her head on Kaylee's shoulder. Kaylee put her hand on the back of Lily's head, stroking her hair.
"I won't leave you, Lil."
When the two broke apart, Kelly punched Kaylee in the arm. Kaylee bit her lower lip to keep herself from screaming in pain as she turned to the red head.
"Ouch," she frowned.
"You deserve it, Danger," Kelly said. "Don't you ever, never, ever, never run off like that again! What do you think you were going to accomplish? Dustin's not going to come back just like that!"
"I said I was sorry," Kaylee frowned.
Kelly pointed to Kaylee, squinting her eyes as she did, "I'm watching you, Danger."
Master Engel walked over to her daughter and smiled, "I have a lot of explaining to do."
"I guess you can start with how the hell I wound up here," Kaylee frowned, "and who the hell you are."
"I'm Master Engel," the Master said, "and Sammy brought you here."
Kaylee's jaw dropped as she turned to Kelly and Lily, the only two people in the room who would fully understand her shock.