Power Rangers Jungle Fury Fanfic #01, "Life At Pai Zhuq"

[Purple Zordon]

Here it is, guys. My Jungle Fury Prologue. If you want to read it in PDF Form like Phil's stories, send me an e-mail and I'll send it to you. Post what you think of it in this thread. Be specific when you comment on it.


My name is Bobby Tisdale. I’m 25 years old and have three dogs, all boys, a female cat & two younger sisters. I was born & raised in Silver Hills, California which was the home of the Time Force Power Rangers. I was a little kid when I learned how to use a computer and this caused me to develop a high intelligence & amazing creativity. I utilized both by writing stories & working on picture programs. I also developed a knack for photography, cooking, the card game Duel Monsters, and video games over the next fifteen years. But I became more of a nerd as a result despite being athletic & into sports.
Life was pretty normal for me up until a fateful day near the end of my Senior Year in high school. It started off normal. I went to my classes and paid attention as I did my work. I thought up ideas for pictures & customized CDs to make for my friends on my computer and continued about my business.
It was lunchtime and I was eating outside in the courtyard as I was reading a book about kids who could morph into any creature they touched. Some guys who would pick on me for being a geek came up to me and threw my book, my Yankees baseball cap, and the rest of my stuff a few feet away from me. They were mad because they knew it was me who ratted on them for skipping classes and they wanted to teach me a lesson.
One of them picked me up and slammed me against the wall before he punched me in the jaw as his buddies held me. I grew angrier & angrier and the next thing I knew, there was a brown energy aura surrounding me. I yelled and it sounded a lot like a bird screech. The screech sent a shockwave that knocked the three guys down and I gathered my stuff as my history teacher, Mrs. Collins, as in Jen Collins, who was my favorite teacher, asked if I was okay.
“Not sure. I’m in a lot of pain and really confused as to how I knocked these guys down.” I said as I rubbed my jaw.
“We better get you to the clinic to have the nurse check you out.” Mrs. Collins said.
“Okay. I think I could use a quick rest before gym class.” I said as we headed inside.
After the nurse examined me and found nothing wrong but a few bruises, I went to my next class which was Gym. We ended up playing dodgeball and something weird happened. Somehow, I managed to dodge & catch the balls that were thrown at me and hit the opposing team with amazing accuracy. My gym teacher & classmates were just as shocked as I was after we finished. I had no idea what in the world was happening to me and my mind was still reeling when I got home & called my dad at work.
“Dad, something weird is going on with me and I’m getting really scared.” I said after he answered.
“What happened, Bobby?” my dad asked.
“Joe Greene & two of his friends attacked me for ratting on them for skipping class during lunch and a weird, brown energy aura surrounded me. I let out a scream that sounded more like a bird screech and it caused a shockwave that knocked them down. And during gym class, we were playing dodgeball and I didn’t get hit at all. Somehow I managed to dodge & catch every ball and hit my classmates with amazing accuracy. This is weirding me out big time.” I explained.
“Don’t worry about it, Bobby. We’ll figure this out. Work on your computer and play some video games to help calm yourself down.” my dad said before we hung up.
I did as my dad suggested and worked on my computer for a little bit. Then I played a video game based on a favorite comic book super hero of mine. A couple hours later, my dad came home and he had a bag with him. I asked what was in it and he pulled something out of the bag.
“This is a picture of me with Master Mao, the head of the Pai Zhuq Kung Fu Academy.” my dad said.
“Seriously?!? You know kung fu? What style?” I asked.
“Yeah. I do. It’s animal based kung fu. I’m an Eagle Master. Just like your grandfather and his father before him & so on.” my dad said as he showed me a claw tattoo on his right forearm.
“Wicked. Can you show & teach me some of your moves?” I asked.
“I won’t have to. You inherited it. That’s why you had that brown energy aura & screeched like a bird. You have the makings of becoming a 28th generation Eagle Master just like me. But you’ll need training.” my dad said.
“Will you teach me?” I asked.
“No. You’re gonna attend the Pai Zhuq Kung Fu Academy just like I did. But you can attend after your high school graduation since it’s next week and I know you want to be with your friends for that.” he said.
“And because I still haven’t picked a college to attend what with being so busy studying and unsure of what kind of career I want. It’s probably for the best. Especially since it’ll be difficult to attend college with a brown eagle energy aura surrounding me. This is a bit ironic since I’m afraid of heights.” I said.
“That is true.” my dad said.
We waited until my mom got home and told her the news about my training. She was a bit concerned that I got hurt at school but relieved that I was okay. She was also glad I inherited my dad’s Animal Spirit and that I was gonna be learning kung fu so I can learn to defend myself. We told my sisters, Amanda & Samantha, the news of my Animal Spirit after they got home and they didn’t believe it. We decided to prove it to them by walking outside and my dad & I stood side by side. My dad told me to focus on an image of an eagle & concentrate and I did like he told me as he did it himself. Brown energy auras surrounded us and brown Eagle Spirits appeared above our heads. My sisters were really shocked at this but found it to be quite cool.
“I’m gonna be attending the same kung fu school that dad attended so I can some day become an Eagle Master like him.” I said.
“Cool!” my sisters said.
We had dinner, meaty lasagna with garlic bread, and I wondered about how my life at the Pai Zhuq Academy was gonna be like. I wondered if I was gonna make any friends and how well I’d do in my training. It was both exhilarating & scary at the same time. I called my three friends Bryant, Robin & Melanie and told them that I was gonna learn kung fu but nixed the part about wanting to master my Eagle Spirit. They found that to be really awesome and wished me the best of luck.

Attached Image (Click thumbnail to expand)

[Purple Zordon]

I did tell Mrs. Collins about my dad & I possessing the Spirit Of The Eagle and that I was gonna learn kung fu so I can master it since she witnessed the incident and I felt I could trust her. She was glad that I was gonna learn how to defend myself & master my Animal Spirit and she also wished me the best of luck.
A week later, I graduated from high school and said “goodbye” to my three friends. They wished me good luck at learning kung fu again and I told them that I’d miss them as we hugged. We got some pictures taken by our families and hung out at my house where we played video games & watched movies while we ate a ton of pizza. Then I left to attend the Pai Zhuq Academy a few days later.
Upon arriving at the Pai Zhuq Academy, which was hidden in a mountainous region in Southern California, I got really nervous like I did my first day of high school. My dad & I walked through the big gates, which were atop a lot of stairs, and entered a big courtyard where we saw students in jeans colored martial arts uniforms sparring. We walked through the area until we came to a small house where an old man in an orange robe walked up to us.
“Bob, it’s nice to see you again.” the old man said.
“Long time, no see, Master Mao.” my dad said as he bowed to him.
“And who is this young man?” Master Mao asked.
“This is Bobby, my son. He’s inherited my Eagle Spirit and is here to learn how to master it.” my dad said.
“It’s nice to meet you, Master Mao.” I said as I bowed to him.
“It is nice to meet you, too. I have the Spirit Of The Caracal if you were wondering. Are you ready to begin learning how to become an Eagle Master?” Master Mao asked.
“You bet I am!” I said.
Master Mao & my dad led me to a room where I was fitted for my uniform and we headed back outside. Master Mao & my dad showed me the arena where class practicing would be done before they showed me where they kept the weapons. They showed me where I would be sleeping, which was a normal-sized bedroom, and I put my stuff there so we could continue the tour of the Pai Zhuq Academy.
They showed me where food was to be served & eaten and the various training areas. My favorites were the waterfall & green fields and they showed me the cliff area atop the waterfall. My fear of heights kicked in big time and I freaked out a bit. Master Mao was curious about this until my dad explained that I’d always had a fear of heights.
“But I want to overcome this fear since I have the Spirit Of The Eagle, Master Mao.” I said.
“That’s good. You’re on your first step, Bobby.” Master Mao said.
My dad & Master Mao showed me the rest of the Pai Zhuq Academy and they told me that since I was a Cub, which is what they call newbies, I was to do things like mopping, sweeping, handing other students towels, etc. I was a bit hesitant towards it but I understood it was part of being at the Academy.
My dad left and I unpacked my stuff. I put my uniform on, which had the Pai Zhuq claw symbol on it, and stepped out into the courtyard. I felt really nervous but I walked up to Master Mao and he introduced me to the other students.
“Everyone, can I have your attention please?” he said.
The students stopped practicing and they turned to face Master Mao. They bowed to him and stood up straight.
“This is Bobby. His father was a student here many years ago and now Bobby is continuing his family legacy of attending the Pai Zhuq Academy. Please treat him with respect as he would to you. Bobby, go to a spot and do as the students do.” Master Mao said.
I did as he said and stood between two guys. One was caucasian like me & the other was African-American and we all did the usual punches & kicks that I saw in movies. We did this for about an hour before Master Mao gave us the okay to rest for a while. The two guys I stood between walked up to me and introduced themselves.
“How are you doing? I’m Ezra Stark.” the Caucasian guy said as he shook my hand.
“And I’m Macio Banner.” the African-American guy said.
“Nice to meet you guys. I’m Bobby Tisdale.” I said.
“What kind of Animal Spirit do you possess?” Macio asked.
“I possess the Eagle Spirit. Just like my dad. What about you guys?” I said as I shook their hands.
“I got the Spirit Of The Ram.” Macio said.
“I have the Spirit Of The Bull.” Ezra said.
“That’s very cool.” I said.
Two girls walked up to us and asked if they could join us. I said it was all right and they sat down & started talking to us.
“Hi. I’m Andrea Iglesias.” the Latina girl with long black hair said as she shook my hand.
“My name’s Sasha Walker. How are you doing?” the caucasian girl with short black hair asked.
“I’m good. Amazed to even be here. What Animal Spirits do you girls have?” I asked.
“I have the Spirit Of The Panther.” Andrea said.
“I have the Spirit Of The Kangaroo.” Sasha said.
“That is really cool. I have the Spirit Of The Eagle like my old man. I think I’m gonna like it here.” I said.
The five of us got lunch and got to know one another. They were amazed at how my Eagle Spirit manifested and admitted that they were all amazed when they found out what their Animal Spirit was. That made me feel relieved and the five of us, since we were Cubs, had to give the upperclassmen their towels after their training.
The five of us started our training in the nearby woods after breakfast the next morning. We were to work with someone in utilizing our Animal Spirits together and thereby combining their powers. We split into pairs and I got paired off with Andrea while Ezra got paired up with Sasha and Macio, who’s Ram Spirit was gold in color, got paired up with a girl named Janine Spengler, who had the cyan Spirit Of The Swallow, as dozens of training dummies appeared from the ground.
Master Mao told us to use our Animal Spirits to attack the dummies together and obstacles appeared from out of nowhere. Master Mao said that we also had to work together to get past the obstacles before we could attack the dummies. We understood and Andrea & I waited our turn to tackle it.

[Purple Zordon]

After Ezra & Sasha, who’s Bull & Kangaroo Spirits were silver & pink, did the obstacle course, Andrea & I charged at it. We helped each other dodge spears & rocks hurled at us and we climbed over walls that were about ten feet high with ropes. Andrea slipped at one point but I caught her using my eagle enhanced reflexes and helped her over the wall. We got to the Attack Dummies and quickly began concentrating as we continued running. A peach energy aura surrounded Andrea as I was surrounded by the same brown energy aura that surrounded me when my Animal Spirit manifested and we flung our arms forward after moving them around. My brown Eagle Spirit & Andrea’s peach Panther Spirit shot out and swooped & slashed the Attack Dummies with their claws before they disappeared.
“Well done, all of you. Not bad at all.” Master Mao said as he clapped while walking towards us after the other students did the obstacle course.
We all lined up side by side and bowed to Master Mao. He walked up to us and told us that we did a very good job utilizing teamwork when some of us didn’t know each other that well but we had trusted our instincts to help us succeed. He told us to go back & train with the equipment after we eat lunch and we did as he told us.
When we got back, I ate a ham & cheese sandwich and started punching & kicking a training bag. I also did some light sparring with Macio who would charge at me with his head like a ram a lot. It was fun.
Over the next several months, the training got more & more tough and I was often very sore after each session. But I endured. Especially with friends like Andrea, Ezra, Sasha & Macio to help me out.
I also met a guy named Jarrod, who had the Spirit Of The Mighty Lion, and he seemed cool. We sparred on occasion in hand-to-hand combat & with our Animal Spirits and became friends.
One year after I started attending Pai Zhuq, I was practicing my kicks on a punching bag with Ezra holding it for me. I decided to try a jump kick so I backed up several feet and started running towards Ezra & the bag. I jumped towards the bag mid run but instead of landing the kick, I overshot it by a few feet over & several feet passed it.
“Bobby, what the heck was that?” Ezra asked as he, Macio, Andrea & Sasha ran over to me.
“I think…I just flew.” I said while sounding amazed.
“Makes sense. Your Animal Spirit is a bird.” Sasha said.
“The king of the skies in fact.” Andrea said.
“Truly ironic for me.” I said.
“Why do you say that, Bobby?” Macio asked.
“Because I’m acrophobic. I’ve been afraid of heights ever since I was a kid. It was the reason why I didn’t like those rides that take you fifty feet in the air & drop you repeatedly at parks.” I said.
“We should talk to Master Mao about this. He should know what we should do about this.” Andrea suggested.
“I agree. Especially if I want to master flying.” I said as we left.
We asked Master Andre, who had the Spirit Of The Seal, where Master Mao was and he said that Mao was in the Meditation Garden. We thanked him and headed for the Meditation Garden to talk to Master Mao.
When we got to the Meditation Garden, we saw Master Mao with his legs crossed, eyes closed, his hands face up as they hung over his knees and his middle fingers & thumbs together. We walked up to him and bowed.
“Master Mao, the five of us were doing some practicing when something happened to Bobby.” Andrea said.
“Tell me what happened.” Master Mao said as he opened his eyes & broke his meditation pose to stand up.
“I was helping Bobby practice his kicks by holding the punching bag when he decided to try a jump kick.” Ezra said.
“And?” Master Mao asked.
“He missed the bag!” Macio said.
“What Macio means is that instead of hitting the bag with my foot, I flew over the bag and landed several feet behind Ezra.” I explained.
“I was wondering when this would happen.” Master Mao said as he smiled.
“You knew Bobby would fly?!?” Sasha asked in shock.
“I knew it would happen eventually. Just like his dad & others who have flying animal spirits.” Master Mao said.
“How did my dad discover he could fly?” I asked.
“He dove off the rocks near the waterfall into the lake below and ended up flying into a tree instead.” Master Mao said.
“Did he crash?” Andrea asked.
“No. He got stuck in the branches until Master Swoop got him out.” Master Mao said.
“So when do we begin my training to master my flying abilities?” I asked.
“In one week. You should do some normal training until then.” Master Mao said.
“Okay. If it’s cool with you guys, I’m gonna go call my dad & tell him the news.” I said as I started walking out of the Meditation Garden.
“Of course. I know Bob will like to hear that you discovered your flying ability.” Master Mao said.
“Thank you, Master Mao.” I said as I bowed and then left to call my dad.
I called my dad from my cell phone in my room and told him about what happened and he said that he was wondering when I was gonna discover my ability to fly. I told him that Master Mao told me, Andrea, Ezra, Sasha & Macio about his first flight and he said he was pretty embarrassed when it happened. I asked if mom knew about his ability to fly when they were dating and he said that she learned of it when some jerk shoved him hard enough to fall off the pier they were on. He said that my mom was amazed and accepted the possibility that if they were to get married & have kids that any of them would inherit the ability.
“And she still married me!” my dad said sounding humored.
“True. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here at Pai Zhuq.” I said.
“Listen, Bobby, I have some work to do. So I’ll talk to you later. Okay?” my dad said.

[Purple Zordon]

“Sure. I’ll tell you how my flight training goes. Bye, dad.” I said as I hung up.
A few days later, I had just finished jogging through the forest with a fellow student named Vincent Mardon, who had the Spirit Of The Gazelle, when I went to my room and found a big package sitting on my bed. I walked out of my room where I saw Rachael Beamer, who had the Spirit Of The Dove, and asked her who left the package in my room. She said that it was Chloe Jenner, a fellow student with the Spirit Of The Lemur, because it was left at the front gate and I thanked her as I went back into my room. I looked at the package and saw that it was from my dad.
I opened it up and, after throwing out the packing peanuts, I saw a bunch of Duel Monsters cards & a special duel disk with winged tips & an eagle engraved on it inside the box. There were a bunch of Winged Beast, Beast, Dinosaur, Beast-Warrior, etc. types with support spell & trap cards and I picked one of them up. It was a level 7, light based, winged beast/effect-type called Gladiator Beast Octavius and he had 2500 attack points. I thought he looked really cool and something weird happened. A spirit in the shape of Octavius emerged from the card and I dropped the card as I started freaking out.
“Hello, Bobby. I’m Gladiator Beast Octavius.” the spirit said.
“What are you?” I asked.
“I’m a Duel Spirit. I came from another dimension and I enter your world through the card. Only you and your father can see & hear me.” Octavius said.
“Whoa. That’s really cool.” I said.
“It is. Maximillian Pegasus was inspired by famous, ancient Roman gladiators who fought in the Colosseum to create us and when your dad stopped by Industrial Illusions around the time you took an interest in Duel Monsters, we reacted to him immediately. Pegasus saw this and gave us & the support cards and this duel disk, which your dad had customized, to him as a way of thanking him for the great advertising works he did for the company. I immediately appeared before him and he told me he was gonna give us to you when the time was right.” Octavius explained.
“And I’m guessing when I called a few days ago to let him know that I could fly, he realized it was time. Right?” I asked.
“Exactly. I’ll be helping you master your flying abilities with Master Mao. And in case you were wondering, the other cards have Duel Spirits too. They’ll reveal themselves when they feel they’re ready.” Octavius said.
“This is sweet. I have some new friends. Can I tell Sasha, Andrea, Ezra & Macio about you since they’re my best friends?” I asked.
“Of course. They’ll be able to hear me when you play me on the duel disk. And you can choose who can hear me.” Octavius said.
“Awesome. Definitely my four friends.” I said as I picked up the card and left my room.
I walked around for about ten minutes until I saw the girls showing some new female students around. I walked up to them and Andrea turned to look at me.
“Girls, this is our friend Bobby. His dad was a student here a long time ago.” Andrea said.
“What’s up?” I said.
“What’s your Animal Spirit?” a girl named Kellie West, who had the Spirit of The Swan, asked.
“Eagle. I just learned I can fly because of this. Master Mao’s gonna train me to master it himself. Andrea, I have something I want to tell you two, Ezra & Macio about in my room. Can you two meet me there in about twenty minutes while I go find the horn heads?” I asked.
“Sure. We’re almost done with the tour. Ezra & Macio should be helping Master Vul with modifying the obstacle course we did on our first day to help you in your flight training.” Andrea said.
“We’ll see you there, Bobby!” Sasha said.
“Thanks. Later.” I said as I went to find Ezra & Macio.
I found them with Master Vul setting up some walls & stuff ten minutes later. I bowed to Master Vul, who had the Spirit Of The Vulture, and asked if I could borrow Macio & Ezra. He said I could and I told the guys I needed to talk to them in my room really quick. I led them to my room where the girls were waiting and we went in. They asked what it was that I waned to talk to them about and I showed them the duel disk. They all gathered around me and looked in awe of it. I told them that my dad had it customized for me because of the work he did for Industrial Illusions.
I grabbed my cards, which were piled on my bed, and turned them into a deck before I put them into the duel disk, which I had put on my left wrist. I told my friends that Industrial Illusions also gave my dad the cards as their way of thanking him and the disk activated by having the two parts where the monster cards were to be placed to slide together & link up as the card zones briefly lit up. I drew the first card, which was Octavius, and I placed it on the top middle card zone. Octavius appeared and smiled at me.
“Octavius, meet my friends.” I said.
“Hello, Bobby’s friends. I am Gladiator Beast Octavius.” Octavius said.
My friends thought they were hearing things and asked me if they were. I shook my head and their jaws dropped. Ezra asked how it was possible and I looked at Octavius as I nodded.
“I’m a Duel Spirit. I reside in this card. Only when Bobby plays me can you guys see & hear me. Other duelists will think Bobby’s talking to himself because they won’t be able to hear me due to Bobby not wanting them to.” Octavius said.
“He’s gonna help me with my flying lessons and my dueling.” I said.
“Now that is extremely cool, Bobby.” Sasha said.
“Most definitely.” Andrea said.
“Looks like we got a new friend in our little group.” Macio said.
“More than one, Macio. Bobby’s other monster cards have spirits in them too.” Ezra said.
“True.” Macio said.
A couple days later, I met Master Mao & Master Vul in the forest to start my flight training. I was both excited & nervous but I had my Gladiator Beast cards, which were in my pocket, and my friends with me for support. Master Mao & Master Vul said that they had a surprise for me and they stepped to the side to reveal my dad. My dad & I hugged and I introduced him to my friends.
“Guys, this is my dad. Dad, this is Andrea, Ezra, Sasha & Macio. My best friends.” I said.
“Nice to meet you all.” my dad said as he shook their hands.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Tisdale. Are you really a Pai Zhuq Master like Master Mao & Master Vul?” Andrea asked.

[Purple Zordon]

“I am. In fact, Master Vul was my flying teacher and my father’s teacher. I’m here for a few days to see Bobby try to master flying for the next few days.” my dad said as he showed his Master Tattoo.
“That’s awesome.” Ezra said.
“Shall we begin?” Master Mao asked.
“I’m ready.” I said.
My dad & Master Vul guided me to a tree with a ladder leaning against it. I climbed up the ladder to a branch that was about ten feet off the ground as Master Vul & my dad flew up to it. I looked at Master Vul and asked what I should do.
“Just focus on your Animal Spirit and picture yourself flying.” Master Vul said.
“Okay.” I said. I did as Master Vul said and focused on my Animal Spirit as I pictured myself flying after closing my eyes & extending my arms to the sides.
I could feel my Beast Aura surround me and I jumped off the branch. I ended up hitting the mat underneath the branch face first. I climbed back up and tried again but kept hitting the mat.
After several tries, I jumped off the branch one more time and something happened. I stopped a few inches from the mat before swooping up a few feet and I opened my eyes. I looked down and saw the ground beneath my feet. I was about four feet off the ground and I got excited. My friends started clapping as I hovered for a bit and I flew up sixteen feet in the air. Master Vul told me that I must now practice flying in every direction and I acknowledged. I kept the image of myself flying in my head as I began flying around but not going higher than forty feet because of my fear of heights. Master Vul told me to lean forward & go from there and I acknowledged him. I leaned forward and I began flying forwards.
It felt exhilarating as I flew around and above my friends. I could hear them cheering me on as I did that and I could see my dad was happy to see me flying. I put my arms against my sides and started flying faster. I must have being going like 70MPH as I flew around several trees & my friends before I flew back to the branch I jumped off of. I felt a little wiped from the flying and I started to lean back. My dad & Master Vul caught me by grabbing my arms and I apologized. I admitted to feeling a bit lightheaded and my dad assured me that it was normal at first but my body would get used to the flying eventually. We climbed back down and my friends gathered around me.
“Bobby, that was amazing!” Sasha exclaimed.
“Totally unbelievable! Andrea said.
“Really excellent!” Ezra said.
“Awesome flying, dude!” Macio said.
“Thanks, guys. Now I think I need something to drink and eat. My stomach is about to growl like Andrea’s Animal Spirit.” I said.
We got some lunch and my friends asked my dad about what his time at Pai Zhuq was like. He told us about the rigorous training he went through and the fun he had along the way. I asked him to tell us exactly what went down the day he discovered he could fly and my friends agreed that they wanted to hear about it. He was hesitant at first but gave in and regaled us with the story of his first flight.
He mentioned that he was hanging out by the waterfall with some friends and attempted to do a swan dive off a rock that was about forty feet high. He said he jumped as he spread his arms out and ended up skimming the water before flying straight up into a nearby tree. We all started laughing our heads off because it was so funny and my dad mentioned that Master Swoop had to get him out of the tree. We continued laughing for a bit before we finished eating and continued my flight training.
I got better at flying as I progressed over the next few days but I didn’t fly higher than fifty feet due to my fear of heights. My dad left so he could get back home & to work and I thanked him for coming to Pai Zhuq to see me train for a while. He said he was very proud of how well I had been doing and the friends I had made.
“These are the kind of friends that’ll always be there when you need it. The friendship you have with Andrea, Sasha, Ezra & Macio will definitely last a lifetime, Bobby. Keep me informed of your training.” my dad said.
“I will, dad. Tell mom, the girls & Max how I’m doing, please.” I said.
“You got it. Your mom will be happy to hear that you’re getting the hang of flying.” my dad said as he stepped between the doors.
“I’ll let you know if I fly any higher and overcome my fear of heights.” I said.
“Okay. Bye, Bobby.” my dad said.
“See ya, dad.” I said before my dad left Pai Zhuq.
My friends & I continued about our various training like normal during the next few weeks. I practiced my flying by zooming around the forest whenever I got the chance but avoided going very high. My friends told me that I had to try flying higher but I told them that my fear of heights was preventing me & just couldn’t. It wasn’t until a free day we all had a few weeks later that I got even better at flying.
It was a pretty warm day and some of us students were chilling out by the waterfall. I was teaching Vincent how to play Duel Monsters, with him using my old Bird Storm Deck I used to use, at the top of the waterfall, but far away from the edge, while Andrea & Sasha were talking & listening to music near the shoreline of the water that led to it and Ezra & Macio were sparring by the lake below. It felt nice to relax until something happened.
I suddenly felt something in the air and these guys in ninja-like outfits appeared from the bushes & trees. We all got to our feet and started fighting the ninjas using what we had learned so far at Pai Zhuq. I started off with a series of punches before levitating off the ground a couple feet to unleash a barrage of aerial kicks. I saw that Sasha needed some help and flew over the water before grabbing two of the ninjas. I flew up about twenty feet and slammed the two ninjas into a couple of trees.
“Thanks, Bobby. What’s going on?” Sasha asked.
“No idea. But let’s take these dudes down first and find out.” I said.
Sasha & I continued fighting the ninjas and I saw Andrea was outnumbered. She was getting closer & closer to the edge of the waterfall. I wanted to help but my fear of heights was preventing me. Every time I tried to go, my feet stopped and I froze. I could hear Andrea call out for help and she fell off the edge after one of the ninjas kicked her.
I suddenly ran full speed towards the ninjas and dashed past them. I jumped off the edge without even thinking and dove for Andrea. I folded my arms to my sides and did a divebomb for Andrea. I caught her in my arms before she hit the ground and swooped up back to the top of the waterfall without even realizing it. I hovered in midair as Andrea, who had her arms wrapped around my neck, opened her eyes.

[Purple Zordon]

“Am I dead?” she asked.
“No. You’re not, Andrea.” I said.
“And it looks like you’ve overcome your fear of heights.” a voice said.
My duel deck started glowing and another duel spirit appeared. It took the form of Gladiator Beast Bestiari, a level four, wind based winged beast/effect-type Duel Monster, and he looked like something out of Aztec carvings. He was mostly a jade shade of green with some ruby red feathers, including some on the back of his head, and his face reminded me of a bird creature I once saw on a computer generated TV show about how certain creatures would look over the course of millions of years & through evolution. I could tell that some of my classmates, except for Ezra, Macio & Sasha, were wondering what I was looking at but I didn’t pay much attention to their confused looks.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Look.” Bestiari said as he pointed down.
I looked down and realized that I was hovering a little higher than the waterfall. My eyes widened in shock as Andrea looked down. She smiled and started laughing in excitement. Everyone realized I was hovering high in the air and were also amazed because they knew I was afraid of heights. Master Mao & Master Vul walked past the ninjas and up to the edge of the waterfall.
“Congratulations, Bobby. You did it. You overcame your fear of heights.” Master Vul said.
“What’s going on?” I asked after I landed and put Andrea down.
“We set this all up so you could overcome your fear.” Master Mao said.
“WHAT?!?” I yelled.
“We did this to help you get over your fear of heights, Bobby.” Andrea said.
“Why? I would have gotten over it eventually.” I said.
“You’re gonna start your weapons training soon. And since you have the Eagle Spirit like your forefathers, you’ll be learning how to use the same weapon they have. And mastering your flying ability is essential for the training. Otherwise, you won’t be able to advance.” Master Mao explained.
“What would have happened if I didn’t ignore my fear when Andrea fell? She could have died!” I said.
“I was waiting behind the water to catch her, Bobby. But I believed you would save her.” Master Vul said.
“Oh. But still. Andrea could have gotten hurt if I hadn’t reacted.” I said.
“But everything turned out for the best, Bobby.” Andrea said.
“I guess. I’m sorry for getting angry, Master Mao.” I said.
“It’s perfectly all right, Bobby. We start Weapons Training tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your day off, everyone.” Master Mao said as he & Master Vul walked away.
Everyone ran up to me and asked what it was like flying so fast & overcoming my fear. I said that I’d let them know later on because I wanted to do some more flying and I told Vincent that I’d continue teaching him how to play Duel Monsters later. He understood and I turned to face the edge of the waterfall. I jumped off and started flying around. I flew up to some clouds and was amazed that I was breathing despite the high altitude. I figured that my Eagle Spirit allowed me to breathe even when the air was thin and I continued flying for a few hours.
I flew back to my room and called my dad to tell him the great news. He was very proud, and relieved, that I finally overcame my fear and asked if I had noticed I could breathe even when the air was thin while flying through clouds. I said that I had and figured it was because of my Eagle Spirit. I told him that I was to start my Weapons Training in the morning and he said that he was glad & wished me luck. I thanked him and met up with Vincent to continue teaching him how to play Duel Monsters.
Later that night, I hung around the waterfall to think about what transpired that day. I was still shocked that Andrea allowed herself to get knocked off the waterfall in order to help me overcome my fear of heights. I wondered why she was willing to risk her life to help me as I looked up at the full moon.
“Wondering about why I allowed myself to fall?” Andrea said as she walked up to me.
“Yeah. I was. So why did you do that? Granted, I’m grateful.” I asked.
“Because you’re our friend, Bobby. We knew putting one of our lives at risk was the only way for you to overcome your fear. We figured either Sasha or I should do it since you’re a big fan of comic book super heroes & the fact that they often save damsels in distress. We flipped a coin to see who would be the one for you to save and I won.” Andrea explained.
“To be honest, I didn’t even think when I saw you fall. I just reacted and jumped.” I said.
“Then saved me like Superman.” Andrea said.
“Or Hawkman, Archangel or the Falcon. Minus the wings.” I said as I laughed.
“But I am sorry we had to trick you.” Andrea said.
“It’s okay. At least we also learned that I’ll do anything for my friends. Including overcome my fears.” I said.
“Very true.” Andrea said before we headed back to our rooms to get some sleep.
The next morning, I joined Andrea, Ezra, Sasha & Macio for breakfast. It was fried eggs & buttery toast, which was my favorite. We ate our breakfast and the five of us, along with some other fellow students, met up with Master Mao at the courtyard. We bowed to him and he bowed back.
“Today, you will begin your weapons training. Each of you will be assigned a specific weapon that we feel best compliments your Animal Spirit. You will practice with this weapon, channel your Animal Spirit through it, and master it. Master Vul, if you please.” Master Mao said.
Master Vul pushed a cart full of orange & black weapons on it up to Master Mao and I bowed to Master Vul. He bowed back before walking away and Master Mao walked up to the cart. He picked up a long lance and handed it to Charlene Hill, who had the Spirit Of The Orangutan. He told her to learn how to use the lance to keep enemies at bay & reach things from afar like an orangutan with its long arms and she thanked Master Mao. Next Master Mao took a hammer with a long pole attached to it and handed it Macio. Master Mao said that Macio was to learn how to use the war hammer so he could be more like his Ram Spirit & smash through obstacles and Macio accepted the weapon. Master Mao went back to the table and picked up a pair of small scythes called kamas. He handed them to Andrea and told her that the kamas are like the panther’s claws & she must use them like they were her own claws. Andrea thanked Master Mao and he went back to the table.

[Purple Zordon]

He picked up an orange & black halberd and carried it to Jake Messer, who had the Spirit Of The Prawn. He told him to use it like a prawn uses its claws and he thanked Master Mao. He went back to the table and picked up a pair of orange & black daggers. He carried them over to Eddie McMahon, who had the Spirit Of The Raven, and told Eddie to use the daggers like a raven would use its beak & claws. Eddie thanked Master Mao & bowed to him and Master Mao went back to the table where he picked up a pair of orange & black discs. He carried the discs to Stella Armstrong, who had the Spirit Of The Ladybug, and he told her to use the discs as though the ladybug itself would use the spots off its back to fight. She thanked Master Mao as she took the discs and Master Mao walked back to the table.
He picked up a black & orange crossbow that looked like a toy with darts and walked up to Sasha. He handed it to her as he said that Sasha was to practice with it so that her movements & shots were as fast as her Kangaroo Spirit. Sasha thanked him as he went back to the table and picked up an orange & black spear. He handed it to Vincent and told him to use the spear like his Gazelle Spirit uses its horns. Vincent thanked Master Mao and Master Mao picked up an orange & black double-bladed battle axe. He handed it to Ezra and he said that Ezra was to use the axe similar to how his Bull Spirit uses its horns. Ezra thanked Master Mao and Master Mao walked back to the table one last time. He picked up an orange & black shield and brought it to me.
“Bobby, like your forefathers, you will learn to fight with the shield. Learn to channel your Eagle Spirit into it and it’ll fly like you.” Master Mao said.
“I will, Master Mao. Thank you.” I said as I held my Training Shield.
We all bowed to Master Mao and we walked to different parts of the courtyard. Master Mao walked up to each of us, starting with Andrea, and taught us how to use each weapon. He showed Andrea how to spin the Training Kamas in her hands, swing them, strike with them, defend with them, etc. Next he went over to Vincent and showed him how to swing the Training Spear around & do other various movements like defending with it before walking over to Jake to do the same thing with the Training Halberd.
Master Mao went over to Stella and showed her how to throw the Training Discs, defend with them, and strike with them. He walked over to Macio and showed him how to swing the Training Hammer around, use it defensively, and throw an opponent with it before he showed Ezra how to use the Training Axe. He showed him how to swing, defend & strike with it and he walked over to Sasha. He showed Sasha how to defend & strike with the Training Crossbow up close and how to aim & fire it before he walked over to Charlene.
He taught Charlene how to spin, strike & defend with the Training Lance and he walked over to Eddie. Master Mao showed Eddie how to fight & defend with the Training Daggers at close range and how to throw them before he approached me. He showed me how to defend with the Training Shield, strike with it, and slam it into my opponent. I asked if I would be able to throw it like Captain America and Master Mao told me that I could in due time. I thought it was awesome and Master Mao left so that we could begin practicing with our new weapons.
Over the next couple of months, we practiced with our weapons. Andrea, Ezra, Sasha, Macio & I each chose an area of the academy to practice with our weapons by ourselves and a specific spot for the five of us to practice together. Andrea chose to practice in a nearby field with tall grass and Ezra chose to practice in an area of the forest. Sasha practiced in another part of the forest while Macio practiced in a nearby quarry and I practiced near the top of the waterfall. I also video taped the practices and uploaded the videos onto my computer so we could see what we needed to improve.
A few weeks after we started our weapons training, we were able to channel our Animal Spirits into our weapons. Macio was able to smash a huge boulder with his Training Hammer and hit a grand slam home run with another one that landed in the field near where Andrea practiced but didn’t get hurt. Andrea was able to charge the blades of her Training Kamas and unleash a slicing energy wave that sliced through the tall grass like a hot knife through butter. The grass looked like crop circles from above.
Sasha managed to do some serious rapid firing of the arrow-like darts with her Training Crossbow and hit the bullseye of every target in seconds. Ezra managed to spin around and chop down several trees in one swing with his Training Axe. This allowed him to harvest enough firewood to warm a small neighborhood for two years as a result. I was able to throw my Training Shield like Captain America and it came back to me after it flew several feet past the waterfall’s edge & did a u-turn. Master Mao was proud of us, Vincent, Charlene, Stella, Eddie & Jake for channeling our Animal Spirits into our weapons and we thanked him. He told us to take the rest of the day off and we bowed to him before we all scattered.
I went to my room and called my dad to tell him the news. He was really happy for me & my friends and he told me that I should develop a special move to do with the shield. I asked him why and he told me that he, grandpa & our ancestors all had signature moves. He told me he would throw the shield, jump on it in midair & ride on it like a surfboard as it would slam into his opponent while grandpa would throw the shield & do a double-fisted punch to push the shield. I thought they sounded cool and told my dad I was gonna go hangout with my friends. I ended the call after saying “goodbye” and went to hangout with Andrea, Sasha, Ezra & Macio by the waterfall.
A few days later, I was practicing with my shield in the woods by myself as I thought about the signature attacks my forefathers had developed. I figured that since I discovered my flying abilities while attempting a flying side kick that I’d incorporate that into my signature attack.
After doing some serious meditation, research on my forefathers, and practicing throwing my shield, I figured it out. While practicing with my Training Shield in the forest surrounded by practice dummies, I managed to take down several of them in one swing with my Training Shield before using it & my feet to take down all but one. The last remaining one was 50yd in front of me and I began concentrating as I started swinging my shield around. I attempted my would be signature move over & over but kept fumbling midway through execution. It was really frustrating.
Finally, I decided to try one last time before calling it a day and I hurled my shield at the training dummy before jumping straight up & forward into the air. I flew behind my shield and extended my right foot. I put my foot on my shield after catching up and slammed into the training dummy. The impact caused the dummy to shatter into splinters & hay and I started shaking it out of my hair as I picked up my Training Shield.
“Bobby, that was incredible!” a female voice said.
I turned around and saw Andrea climbing out of a nearby tree. She walked up to me and helped me get some straw out of my hair.

[Purple Zordon]

“Thanks. How long have been watching?” I asked.
“A while. I was walking around after Sasha & I sparred in the quarry when I saw you practicing. I climbed up the tree so I wouldn’t distract you.” Andrea explained.
“Oh. So what did you think?” I asked.
“Pretty cool. What do you call that move?” Andrea asked.
“How about…The Eagle Kick! My dad told me that our forefathers developed signature moves and so I decided to continue that tradition.” I said.
“Sounds cool. So why a flying side kick?” Andrea asked.
“My way of reminding myself that that’s how I discovered my ability to fly. Plus, an eagle snags prey with its talons.” I said.
“True. I’m hungry. Want to get something to eat?” Andrea asked.
“After you.” I said as Andrea & I headed back to the academy to get something to eat.
As we ate, Andrea & I told Sasha, Ezra & Macio about the signature move I had just worked on. They thought it was pretty cool and Sasha suggested they also come up with signature moves with their weapons. We all thought it was a great idea and agreed to set up training dummies to practice with next week. Master Andre walked up to us and asked what all of the excitement was about.
“Bobby just worked on a signature move and so now the four of us are gonna each work on one.” Macio explained.
“Sounds like fun. Do you need any help with anything?” Master Andre asked.
“Could you help us set up enough training dummies for us to practice with?” Sasha asked.
“Of course.” Master Andre said.
“Thank you, Master Andre. I’m gonna practice with you guys. I still gotta work on my Eagle Kick before it’s finalized anyway. I’ll even set up my video camera so that we can get footage to watch and see what we need to improve on.” I said.
“Very well. I’ll see all of you in the forest around 10:00 in a week.” Master Andre said before walking away.
We continued eating our food and talked about where we were gonna train. Andrea suggested we train in the forest, fields & quarry like we had been and Ezra went to relay that info to Master Andre before coming back. Then we went about practicing.
A week later, after the five of us had breakfast, we met up with Master Andre & Master Vul in the forest with our Training Weapons in hand. We bowed to them and Ezra asked which of us would be practicing first. Master Andre pointed to me and I thanked him. I had Master Vul hold my shield as I set my camera up and Master Vul handed it back before I stood in the middle of 20 training dummies.
I readied myself with some light breathing as Andrea stood behind my camera to hit the record button. She gave me a thumbs up and I began swinging my Training Shield & whacking the training dummies that surrounded me with it. I delivered some kicks & punches to several of them and charged up my Training Shield with my Animal Spirit. I threw my Training Shield at the last dummy that was sixty yards away like Captain America and jumped forward into the air. I flew up to my shield and it flipped forward to show the front of it. I extended my right foot and pressed it against the shield.
“Eagle Kick!” I shouted as I exerted some more animal spirit energy to increase my speed & momentum.
My Training Shield & I slammed into the dummy and made it explode like the previous one the week before. I jumped off my Training Shield, did some twists & turns in the air, and hovered for a moment before landing. I picked up my Training Shield and walked back to my friends & masters.
“Bobby, that was awesome!” Ezra said.
“Amazing!” Sasha said.
“You’ve definitely gotten faster when flying.” Macio said.
“It was better than the one you originally did.” Andrea said.
“That was quite superb, Bobby.” Master Vul said.
“Thanks, guys. Thank you, Master Vul.” I said as I bowed to him.
“Ezra, you’re next.” Master Andre said.
We walked further into the forest where we saw more dummies set up. We all stood some distance away, with my camera set up, while Ezra stood amongst the training dummies with his Training Axe. I hit the record button and Ezra started swinging his Training Axe while landing various punches & kicks. He managed to chop some trees down in the process before he raised his Training Axe above his head charged it up with his Animal Spirit.
“Toro Chop!” Ezra said as he brought the Training Axe down.
He slammed his Training Axe on the ground with one of the blades and it created an energy blade that flew across the ground. It flew towards a training dummy and sliced right through it. The dummy split in two and the two sides fell onto the ground.
“Ezra, that was incredible!” Sasha said as Ezra walked back to us.
“Wicked.” Andrea said.
“Nice, dude.” Macio said.
“I’m definitely impressed, bro.” I said.
“Thanks, guys. So who’s next?” Ezra asked.
“Sasha, you’re up.” Master Andre said.
We walked about two miles to another spot that had training dummies with targets on them. I set up my camera again as Sasha got into position with her Training Crossbow in hand. I hit the record button on my camera and gave Sasha the signal to start.
She started firing her Training Crossbow at the dummies closest to her & in the trees and delivered some punches & kicks as she did. She also hit some of the dummies with her Training Crossbow before doing some gymnastics style flips while firing it. She began charged up her Training Crossbow with her Animal Spirit and she took aim at several dummies within fifty yards in front of her.
“Kanga Barrage!” Sasha shouted as she pulled the trigger on her Training Crossbow.
She fired a rapid fire barrage of dart arrows, which exuded pink animal spirit energy, that hit the training dummies causing them to explode upon impact. The explosions caused all of us to get showered with sawdust & hay and we shook ourselves & hair to get it all off. Sasha walked up to us and bowed to Master Andre & Master Vul.
“How was that?” Sasha asked.
“Most splendid, Sasha. You’ve gotten really good at using your crossbow.” Master Andre said.

[Purple Zordon]

“Thank you, Master Andre.” Sasha said.
“To quote Bill Murray in ‘Ghostbusters’, ‘Nice Shootin’, Tex!”” I said.
“Definitely a blast.” Ezra said.
“Dang!” Macio said.
“Very cool, Sasha.” Andrea said.
“Andrea, you’re next.” Master Vul said.
We walked to the field and only saw some training dummies. We wondered where the rest of them were as Andrea got into position with her Training Kamas. Andrea walked over to an opening as I used my flying power to get an aerial view with my camera. I hit the record button and Andrea began twirling her Training Kamas. She struck some dummies with her Training Kamas before she delivered some quick kicks. She tossed her Training Kamas into the air to deliver several punches and energized slashes with her hands like claws. She caught her Training Kamas and continued slashing with them with amazing speed. Some more dummies appeared from out of nowhere and Andrea managed to strike them all down. She got charged up with more animal spirit energy and executed her signature move.
“Feral Slice!” she yelled as she waved her Training Kamas horizontally & diagonally.
Peach colored energy waves shot out from the blades and sliced through the remaining training dummies that were in front of Andrea. The dummies fell apart as I landed and they hit the ground as Andrea & I walked back to the others.
“That was awesome!” Sasha said.
“Slicing & dicing!” Macio said.
“Totally sweet, Andrea!” I said.
“That was wicked.” Ezra said.
“Thanks, guys.” Andrea said.
“Outstanding, Andrea. Just outstanding.” Master Andre said.
“Thank you, Master Andre.” Andrea said as she bowed to him.
“Macio, it’s your turn.” Master Vul said.
We walked over to the quarry where Macio liked to train and we saw more training dummies. Macio got into position with his Training Hammer as I set my camera up on a high ledge. I started recording and gave Macio the signal.
Macio started swinging his Training Hammer around and hitting some dummies in the sides, smashing some rocks in the process. He hit some from above and slammed the top of the hammer into the torso of some to toss them over his head. He put the hammer on the group and used the handle to hoist himself up & swing on it to kick some of the dummies. He jumped down and punched some of them before he continued swinging his Training Hammer, which was now charged with animal spirit energy. He hit several more dummies before he lifted the Training Hammer above his head.
“Ram Smash!” he yelled as he brought the Training Hammer down.
Macio slammed it into the ground and it created a shockwave that destroyed the rest of the training dummies. The shockwave also made some of the area around Macio & the dummies, which included our masters, friends & the ledge I was on, shake a bit but not a lot. Macio walked back to our friends & masters with his Training Hammer resting on his shoulder like a baseball bat as I flew off the ledge and we all gathered around him.
“Macio, that was awesome.” Andrea said.
“Really slamming, dude.” Ezra said.
“Truly smashing, bro.” I said
“Almost knocked me off my feet.” Sasha said.
“And powerful.” Master Andre said.
“Most impressive.” Master Vul said.
“I agree, Vul.” Master Mao said as he walked up to us
“Master Mao!” my friends & I said as we bowed to him.
“I am most impressed by how well the five of you have gotten the hang of your assigned weapons. You have all gotten much stronger.” Master Mao said.
“Thank you, Master Mao.” I said.
“The five of you will be summoned for something special in the near future. I expect you all to continue practicing and honing your skills from now till you eventually leave Pai Zhuq.” Master Mao said.
“We will, Master Mao. We promise.” Andrea said.
“That’s good. Dismissed.” Master Mao said.
We bowed to Master Mao before the five of us left the quarry. We got some lunch and ate with the rest of the students. Stella & Charlene sat with us as we ate our sandwiches and we got joined by Jake & Eddie too.
“So where were you guys all day?” Jake asked.
“Weapons practice.” Sasha said.
“With Master Vul & Master Andre?” Stella asked.
“Yeah. They were supervising it.” Macio said.
“To make sure we didn’t get hurt.” Andrea said.
“But why?” Eddie asked.
“Pertained to something my forefathers did. We worked on signature moves.” I explained.
“Really? That sounds cool!” Charlene said.
“Yeah. You guys should try it.” Ezra said.
“Maybe we will. Bobby, you want to do some aerial sparring later?” Eddie asked.
“Sure. Tomorrow though. I got to write a letter to my family to give them an update.” I said.
“Okay.” Eddie said as we continued eating.
Later that night, I started working on the letter to my family and letters to Melanie, Bryant & Robin. I wrote in the letter to my family about the signature moves and that I’d show them the videos when I’d come home for Thanksgiving. But it was the letters to my friends from high school that I was having the most difficulty.
“Can’t think of what to write, Bobby?” Gladiator Beast Darius, a level four, earth based beast-warrior/effect-type, asked as he appeared.
“Yeah. A lot of what we do here is secret. So I have no clue what to tell them. In the last letter I wrote, I told them about getting assigned the shield after I overcame my fear of heights.” I said.
“How did you explain that?” Darius asked.
“I just told them that Andrea got knocked off the waterfall and I dove to caught her before I grabbed hold of a branch. Figured it wasn’t a good idea to tell them I can fly.” I said.

[Purple Zordon]

“That’s good. And I know they’d think you were crazy had you told them you can see & hear duel spirits.” Darius said.
“Big time. What do you think I should put?” I asked.
“Just tell them that you & your friends getting better with your assigned weapons. But exclude the part about animal spirit energy & the signature moves.” Darius said.
“Thanks. I will.” I said as I continued writing the letters.
I finished writing the letters just before midnight and put them in envelopes. I took them to the mailbox where students had to put the letters they wrote to get sent out and went to sleep.
One night, which was three years after I joined Pai Zhuq, and seven months later, I got woken up by Master Vul. He said that Master Mao wanted to see me about something and I put on my uniform before I headed to the courtyard where I first met my friends.
When I got there, I saw Andrea, Ezra, Sasha, Macio, Eddie, Charlene, Jake, Stella, Vincent, and some other students standing in a line in their uniforms. Master Mao appeared before us and we bowed to him. He told us that we had to sit on the ground in a meditation pose until he sees us again and we did as he told us. We all closed our eyes as Master Mao left and began meditating.
To keep my mind focused & stay awake, I thought about various things like fighting. I started dozing off several times but some of my Gladiator Beasts like Alexander, Equeste, Spartacus, Secutor & Torax managed to help me stay awake while some of the other students dozed off and were taken back to their rooms leaving Eddie, Jake, Stella, Charlene, Vincent, Ezra, Andrea, Sasha, Macio & myself by the time the sun rose the morning after.
A couple hours later, Master Mao, some of the other masters & some Cubs walked up to where we sat. Master Mao stood before us and Master Gibb, who had the Spirit Of The Gibbon, hit the gong. We stood up before bowing to Master Mao and he approached us. It felt good to get off our butts because some of us had lost all feeling in them.
“Congratulations. You are the ten finalists. I’m looking for five.” Master Mao said.
We broke into random pairs and went to different parts of the courtyard. Sasha was paired off with Charlene. Ezra was paired off with Eddie. Macio was paired with Vincent. Andrea was paired with Stella. And I was paired with Jake. We bowed to our opponents and took a fighting stance.
“Begin!” Master Mao said to give us the okay to start fighting.
Jake came at me lunging his hands at me like a prawn but I managed to dodge & deflect before I hit him with some good punches. I hit him with a good side kick with my left foot before spinning around and kicking him with my right foot. Jake managed to get a couple of good kicks & slaps on me before we grasped our arms & locked them together. I jumped up and delivered a drop kick to break the lock and springboard off of him causing me to do a back flip. I landed some feet away and started concentrating. Animal spirit energy surrounded me as I began waving my hands around and I managed to conjure up my Eagle Spirit. I lunged my hands forward and my Eagle Spirit flew at Jake. My Eagle Spirit hit Jake with its wings & talons causing him to fall down. My Eagle Spirit disappeared and I defeated Jake.
I looked over at the others and saw Ezra send his Bull Spirit charging at Eddie who ended up getting hit by the Bull Spirit’s horns to give Ezra the victory. Andrea managed to deliver a claw-like punch to knock Stella back before she waved her hands around to send her Panther Spirit at Stella to defeat her and win. Macio hit Vincent with a headbutt to the gut and backed up some feet to power up & send his Ram Spirit at him to get the win. Sasha managed to do a hovering dropkick to knock Charlene back and sent her Kangaroo Spirit at her defeat her & win.
“Bobby, Andrea, Ezra, Sasha, Macio. Join us in the Great Hall this evening.” Master Mao said.
We bowed to Master Mao as Master Gibb hit the gong again and the Cubs gave us our towels. The five of us gathered together and congratulated each other on winning. We congratulated Jake & the others on giving us a great fight and they thanked us as we clasped hands together. They congratulated us and we went to our rooms to rest. I slept for about five hours before I was woken up by Gladiator Beast Andal, who was a level four, earth based beast-warrior-type with no special ability that looked like a bear with armor, telling me that someone was knocking on my door. I put my glasses back on and got out of bed before opening my door.
“Yeah?” I asked sounding groggy.
“Bobby, you okay?” Jarrod asked.
“Yeah. Come in. I was just taking a nap. Didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” I said as I let Jarrod in.
“How come? Worried about something?” Jarrod asked.
“No. Master Mao summoned me & others to the courtyard for something. We had to meditate and stay awake. Sasha, Andrea, Ezra, Macio, Stella, Charlene, Eddie, Jake, Vincent & I managed to last till it was time to stop. It’s a long story.” I said as I sat down.
“Cool. I was just wondering if you wanted to do some more sparring?” Jarrod asked.
“Sure. Let me get something to eat first. I haven’t eaten since last night. Meet you in the forest in an hour? And let’s not use our Animal Spirits.” I said.
“Okay. See you then.” Jarrod said as he left.
I got changed out of my regular clothes & into my uniform before I got some lunch. I ate a grilled cheese sandwich, which I put a little ketchup on, and headed to the forest to spar with Jarrod.
We bowed to each other and proceeded to spar. He managed to get some good hits on me and I got some good ones on him. We finished after two hours and Jarrod went to do some more training while I went back to my room to rest some more before I had to head to the Great Hall for a few hours.
A few hours later, I headed to the Great Hall where I saw Macio, Andrea, Sasha & Ezra waiting outside. We nodded at each other and entered the Great Hall. We saw a bunch of food sitting on top of a big round table with glasses full of water next to them and various Cubs standing by the walls that were decorated with ancient tapestries & the Pai Zhuq claw symbol. It reminded me of when we were Cubs and were doing the same things in there three years before. But we didn’t know what was going on at the time. Master Mao sat at the table with Master Gibb, Master Vul & Master Andre and they invited us to come & join them. We walked up to them and bowed to them. Andrea & I sat on both sides of Master Vul while Ezra & Sasha sat between Master Andre & Master Mao and Macio sat between Master Mao & Master Gibb.

[Purple Zordon]

Master Mao told us to dig in and we started grabbing things. I grabbed a bunch of purple grapes, carrots & some bits of chicken and started eating. I drank a lot of water and kept my mouth closed as I started having a really big burp. It caused my cheeks to inflate like a cartoon and my friends started laughing. So did our Masters.
“Excuse me.” I said.
An hour later, Master Mao looked at Masters Vul, Andre & Gibb and they got up & escorted the Cubs out of the Great Hall. Master Mao stood up and asked us to follow him. We did as he told us and followed him out of the Great Hall. Master Mao led us to a door that opened to reveal a dark stairwell that led deep underground. Master Mao lit a torch and led us down the creepy stairs.
We reached the bottom where there was a pair of black & red doors and Master Mao opened them to reveal a room with a high ceiling, a skylight where the moon shone in through, lit candles lined a wall on the opposite side where an ancient mural carved into the wall and a weird box sitting on a stone table. Master Mao called it the Forbidden Room and we thought it looked really cool.
“Listen closely. Over 10,000 Years ago, there was a great evil named Dai Shi. He believed that animals should rule the planet and humans were to be erased. Brave warriors channeled their Animal Spirits, and after a great battle, they were able to capture the Dai Shi inside this box.” Master Mao said as turned to the mural that depicted the battle and as he picked up the box.
We backed up upon seeing the box in Master Mao’s hands but we stayed put. Then we continued to listen to Master Mao as he lifted his right arm to reveal his Master Tattoo.
“The Pai Zhuq, the Order Of The Claw, was formed to train students in Kung Fu and to serve as protectors if the Dai Shi were ever to escape. You five have been chosen to act as Backup Guardians to the Chosen Three if that happens.” Master Mao explained.
“What do we do if Dai Shi doesn’t escape?” Ezra asked.
“Then you will eventually come back to Pai Zhuq to try to earn your Master Tattoos. But if Dai Shi does escape, I will call on the five of you when you are needed.” Master Mao said.
“What do you mean by ‘eventually come back to Pai Zhuq’, Master Mao?” Andrea asked.
“As the Backup Guardians, you have, in a way, been dismissed. But not expelled in this case. But I assure you, you are not. Think of it as a much needed, long vacation away from the academy.” Master Mao said.
“So when do we leave?” I asked.
“You leave tomorrow afternoon. So enjoy your final night here at Pai Zhuq and get some sleep.” Master Mao said.
“Yes, Master Mao.” we said as we bowed to him.
We followed Master Mao out of the Forbidden Room back to the surface. The night air had a nice breeze and it felt good. Master Mao walked away while the five of us headed to our rooms. I fell onto my bed and immediately dozed off after I sent my dad a text asking him to pick me up to take me home in the afternoon while assuring him that I didn’t do anything wrong. Though something told me that he knew what it was.
The next morning, I got up early to eat my final breakfast at Pai Zhuq. I was feeling really depressed that I was leaving the academy & my friends. I tried to hide it but a lot of people could tell that I was upset about something. Particularly Andrea, Ezra, Sasha & Macio. I went to a tree I liked to sit by that was near the waterfall and laid down under it as I looked up at the sky. I looked at the various clouds and tried to figure out what some of them looked like.
“Mind if we join you?” Sasha asked as she & the others walked up to me.
“Sure.” I said.
“What are you thinking about, Bobby?” Andrea asked.
“The fact that we’re parting ways & from Pai Zhuq.” I said.
“Don’t blame you. A lot happened to us here.” Macio said.
“Like the day I arrived. It was the day we all met & ultimately became best friends.” I said as I started to remember that moment.
“Those were some pretty fun first days we had. Remember when we got Macio with the sleeping shaving cream gag two years ago?” Ezra asked as he pointed his thumb at Macio.
“Oh man! We bolted like scared rabbits when he woke up and came after us.” Andrea said as we started laughing.
“Or when Ezra tried to start that food fight by trying to get me with that pie until I got him before he could try?” Sasha said.
“Good thing. Master Mao would have dismissed us for that.” Andrea said.
“How about when you guys helped me overcome my fear of heights? At first I was shocked. But I knew you guys did that to help me. Something real friends would do for each other.” I said as I started to shed a tear thinking about that day.
“We did it because we’re friends.” Macio said.
“And I will never forget it for as long as I live. I’m gonna miss you guys a lot.” I said as I sat up.
“And we’ll miss you, too.” Sasha said.
“Let’s keep in touch via e-mail & letters. And if any of us join a social website, try to find the others. But we’ll need some kind of a code so that we know it’s the others. But what?” Ezra said.
“How about something pertaining to our Animal Spirits?” Andrea suggested.
“Sounds like a good idea. I’ll go with ‘RAM CHARGE!’ for mine.” Macio said.
“‘Take Flight’ will be mine.” I said.
“I’ll use ‘Panther Growl’ for me to use.” Andrea said.
“The one I’ll use will be ‘Kangaroo Hop’ to tell you guys.” Sasha said.
“I’ll stick with ‘Taurus Horns’ as mine.” Ezra said.
“But let’s all agree to meet up sometime in the near future to hangout & reminisce.” I said as I stood up and put my left hand out facing down.
“Let’s.” Andrea said as she put her left hand on top of mine after standing up.
“I’m there.” Ezra said as he did the same thing.
“Count me in.” Sasha said as she put her hand with ours.

[Purple Zordon]

“I’m game.” Macio said as he put his hand on top.
“It’s settled.” I said as I put my other hand on top.
We bounced our hands into the air like on “Scooby-Doo” and we left the waterfall. We headed to our rooms and started packing up our stuff. We also helped each other pack and we took some pictures with my camera. I promised to send them copies with the other photos that were taken over the years as we finished up and we went to the Main Gate to wait for our families to pick us up after we said “farewell” to our masters & fellow students.
Andrea was the first to leave with Maria, her mom, and was followed by Sasha who got picked up by her parents named Wally & Kate. Macio got picked up by his dad, Geoff, and Ezra was picked up by his Uncle Tyson. I gave my friends a final hug goodbye as they all left and I was the last one to remain.
My dad arrived a couple hours after Ezra left saying he was stuck in traffic. I told him that it was all right and Master Mao walked up to us. We bowed to him and he & my dad shook hands.
“Bob, you’ll be happy to know that your son, Andrea, Ezra, Sasha & Macio were chosen to Backup Guardians in the event that Dai Shi escapes his imprisonment.” Master Mao said.
“Is that so? I had a feeling that’s why Bobby was leaving without his Master Tattoo. That’s great to hear.” my dad said.
“Bobby, farewell. I’ll see you again someday.” Master Mao said.
“Farewell to you as well, Master Mao. It’s been an honor.” I said as I bowed to him.
As my dad & I started to leave, I looked back at Pai Zhuq one last time. I started having memory flashes of my time there and started to cry a bit. My dad & I carried my stuff to the car and I waved “goodbye” to Pai Zhuq before we left.
My mom was really happy to see me home and so was our dog Max. I put my stuff into my old room, which hadn’t changed, and got on my computer to e-mail Macio & the others that I made it home. My mom made lasagna with prosciutto ham for dinner that night and we talked about my time at Pai Zhuq. My sisters wondered why I was allowed to leave and my dad said that I’d be taking my final test when the time was right so that they wouldn’t know about Dai Shi. They understood and I went to bed early.
Over the course of the next few years, I did a lot of things. I attended a two-year college where I majored in Computer Graphics, which I got a degree for, & minored in Cooking and learning how to read, speak & write Japanese. I got a job working at my dad’s advertisement company designing websites & ads for companies using my computer & photography skills alongside my dad. My dad & I even bought me my first car. A brown 2005 Ford Mustang GT with a license plate that had “EAGLE 28” on it. It was my dream car and awesome to drive.
I even became an accomplished & renowned duelist using my Gladiator Beast cards and got to meet Maximillian Pegasus himself after winning multiple championships as a result. I was also able to practice what I learned at Pai Zhuq & my flying ability all the while by practicing in the woods behind my house. I even took Max flying with me. It was funny to see his ears flapping from the wind. My family eventually got a cat named Kitty & two more dogs named Dagger & Harvey and they were a lot of laughs. Dagger howled a lot while Harvey would chase the cat.
I still managed to keep in touch with Sasha & the others via e-mail, letters & Facebook. We were unable to meet up due to our conflicting schedules though. But they did like the scrapbooks I made for them that had pictures taken during our three years at Pai Zhuq. I also wondered when Master Mao would summon us if Dai Shi escaped and figured it would happen if it ever did. That thought crossed my mind from time to time but didn’t distract me from what I was doing at the moment. Though something in my gut told me that something big was gonna happen and soon.