OK, this is somewhat of a JF fic, but it is set LONG before the events of the series. Not all the masters have been legendary defenders. This is the tale of the fall of three of the ancient masters.

The Fallen Masters

Legal: I do not own the rights to Power Rangers, or the associated characters, places, names, events etc. Anything not covered by the above rights is to be considered the creation of the author.

Rating: T – for adult themes.

Timeline: 10,000 years before the events of Jungle Fury, in the original temple within the Jungle of Spirits.

A still breeze whistled through her hair as the young Pai Zhuq student dispensed with her second challenge. Her ritual trial had been everything she expected and more, testing every inch of her strength and power. She ran onward on the path through the Jungle of Spirits, heading back towards the temple and her destiny.

Her master, Master Bubo had been her whole world since she was an infant, and she had every intention of making him proud. Shen was a small girl. Even at 18 she had barely broken the five-foot mark, and was of incredibly slight build as befitted her animal spirit. Master Bubo had taken her in as an infant and raised her in the temple. More than just his prized student, he had raised her as his daughter. Since he had trained her, she had quickly found a place among the elite of their students, and Master Bubo had finally seen fit to recommend her for her Master's trial.

She swept her long, silky black hair out of her face as she pushed through the last of the undergrowth, finding herself confronted by the third and final arch, leading back into the temple. She smiled as she stepped into the courtyard, seeing that the sun was still high in the sky over the tree line. She still had time to defeat whichever of the masters had been chosen to stand as her final challenge. Making her way over to the plinth to instigate her final challenge, she touched the statue depicting the humming bird, her animal spirit. She heard a feral snarl behind her and her blood froze.

Turning slowly, she gulped slowly as she faced the one Master she'd prayed she wouldn't have to.

He towered over at over six feet, and unusually for an Asian man, he was hugely muscular, exceeding 230 pounds easily. A vicious scar ran from under his hair-line, through his right eye, which was a lifeless, milky white marble, the souvenir of one of his many vicious battles. Master Arctos was one of the most powerful masters ever to enter the temple, but then as the son of the legendary Master Ursa that was no surprise.

The second Bear Master held a sense of pride in his family's place in the temple's history, even though it was his father's murder at Dai Shi's hands that had announced Dai Shi's plans and started the Beast War. Master Arctos was also just as hard and unreasonable as his father had been. He was a tough trainer anyway, torturing even the students he respected, but just like his father he was very old-fashioned, and opposed the temple's new policy of allowing women to train there. He had a fair few supporters, more so considering the fact that one of the first female students, Camille, had defected to Dai Shi, but that didn't stop the temple from taking in women. In the end, the decision was Master Bobo's as head of the temple, and he was never going to speak against his "daughter".

"You think you're fit to carry the title of master?" He sneered dismissively. "Come on Shen; show me what you've learned in 17 years."

The student prepared a guard nervously as the Bear Master approached her. She knew that he was powerful, but more than that he was sadistic, and regularly took the opportunity to demonstrate his superiority over the students, especially the women. She threw a fast kick towards his chest, only to be blocked and tossed to the floor with ease.

"Come on birdie, you have to do better than that!" He snarled.

Shen got back to her feet, feeling her anger growing at his taunting. She cast forth her humming-bird spirit, launching it into an attack. Arctos took the hit, staggering backwards a few paces, before glaring back at her laughing.

"Is that meant to hurt?" He asked her. Shen though had rushed back to the statue, retrieving her weapon of choice, the deadly zetsukon.

"So you want to fight with the adults now?" He asked her, pulling a pair of evil-looking Bear Claw weapons from his belt and gripping them tightly. He surged forward, slamming the first of them into her guard, sending the student sprawling to the floor. She pulled herself back up, clutching a deep wound in her arm.

"Aren't you ready to give up yet?" He asked her. "Let's do something about that."

He surged forward once more, raking one of his claws across her abdomen, before dropping the weapons. He grabbed her, picking her up and swinging her through the air, sending her crashing through the humming bird statue. Shen struggled on the floor, but the pain in her ribs wouldn't allow her to continue. She had failed. Arctos paced impatiently, considering his opponent. He was considering continuing when the spirit of the Hawk Owl heralded the arrival of Master Bobo.

"That is ENOUGH Arctos!" He barked authoritatively, standing in her defence as the healers rushed to her side. "Shen is defeated, you will stand down!"

Arctos growled defiantly at his superior. Bobo always coddled that little waif; Arctos had only done his duty. He had been the one selected randomly to test her suitability to become a master, it was his duty to try and stop her.

"I merely stopped her as I was supposed to." He stated dryly. "Do not blame me if she is too weak to defeat me."

"Your duty is to stop her, not cripple her!" Bobo snapped in response. "You could have killed her!"

"She has failed, accept the fact and move on...sir." Arctos sneered as he turned his back to walk away. Arctos just shook his head in defeat and turned his attention back to the injured student. Arctos was troublesome, but he was also a Master. He respected his fellow Master's accomplishment in attaining his rank, but his attitude to others always grated on him. The Bear Master was powerful, and he knew it. His arrogance was by far his biggest failing. Seeing Shen writhing in pain on the ground, Master Bobo was only just able to restrain himself from attacking him in retaliation. He knew the Masters needed to stick together if they were to defeat Dai Shi.

"She's a tough one. I don't know how, but her ribs aren't broken." One of the healers told him, knowing how concerned he was over her. Master Bobo looked down on the look of agony in her face. Tears ran down her olive skin, and blood stained her uniform from her injuries. She grunted in pain as they forced her out of her curled position to get a better look at her injuries. "It doesn't look like she's in any serious danger, but she'll be as sore as hell for a few weeks."

"I failed you." She muttered through her pained gasps as she desperately tried to regain her breath. "I'm sorry father."

Master Bobo smiled at her warmly, running a hand through her hair. During one of his early battles against Dai Shi's fortress, he had come across a village that had been completely decimated by his forces. As he searched the wreckage for casualties, he found her crying in the wreckage. It was already too late for her parents, but he couldn't leave the child behind. He had raised her as his own since that day. He still loved it when she called him "father".

"You haven't failed me." He replied gently. "You did well. I'm proud of you."

"We should get her back to the infirmary." One of the healers interrupted. "She'll be fine Master Bobo, I promise."

The two healers lifted her gently and carried her away. Master Bobo watched her go with a slight look of regret on his face, barely even noticing the chief healer arriving. He cleared his throat to announce his arrival.

"You know, you should report this to the elders." He reminded him. "His conduct was disrespectful. He should be reprimanded."

"Please, if I got Arctos and his two cronies reprimanded every time they disrespected me, I'd never be out of their chambers." He replied. "I don't think it's any secret they think I should step aside Huan."

"The elders chose you." Huan reminded him. "Arctos is strong, but he is rash and arrogant."

"That may be." Bobo sighed. "But like it or not, they are masters."

"They might be masters, but you lead this temple." Huan told him. "Think about that."

Master Bobo knew he had a point, but he just couldn't face it right now. He was too worried about Shen. He knew it was an issue he'd have to deal with eventually, but he always hoped that they would come to accept the Elder's decision to place him in charge and move on.

Meanwhile, a young Caucasian woman made her way through the temple purposefully. Her students had been dismissed for the day; she had a far more important matter to attend to. She wasn't like most of the other inhabitants of the temple. Despite Master Bobo's mandate to allow women into the temple, there still were not many female students. This woman though had attained what many believed to be impossible. The stripes on her arm confirmed her to be the first ever female Pai Zhuq Master.

Master Aurelia was a hauntingly beautiful woman. She was slender, and graceful in a way that was totally unrepresentative of her dangerous power. Her skin was as pale alabaster, and her hair was a deep, chestnut brown. Smiling broadly, she looked around to ensure she wasn't followed as she made her way to the waterfall.

There she crouched in the bushes as she watched him showering. Despite everything that had changed in the temple in the last few years, the one thing that hadn't was that the Masters were required by tradition to take a vow of chastity. Aurelia was not in the least concerned at first. She had been young when she came to the temple, and had been thoroughly dedicated to her studies. She had never thought about what it would mean to consider another as a partner. However, she hadn't taken one thing into account. Joining the temple so young, she had gone through puberty at the temple, and so had been forced to deal with her strengthening feelings largely on her own. It wasn't as though she could talk with her masters about them.

She watched as Master Merielax Slowly dried himself, taking in every inch of his gloriously toned body. She was breathless any time she had a chance to see him undressed. He was a tall, Asian man, with a highly athletic build, the result of many years of study. His hair was long, and a little unkempt, giving him a slightly predatory appearance. He gathered his clothing, making his way into the undergrowth. Aurelia couldn't help being a little disappointed that he had gone.

"You know we really should be more subtle." Merielax chuckled from behind her, causing him to jump. She always hated it when he did that. The Master of the Hawk spirit moved very quickly, and almost completely silently when he wanted to. The predatory nature of his animal spirit made him a master of sneak attacks, a fact he used many times to frighten her. "The Owl had a long gaze."

"That's never stopped us before." She said seductively, rising from her hiding place in the bushes. She turned towards him with a smirk as she took his hands, placing them around her as she pulled close.

"Out here?" Merielax asked cheekily. "You like living dangerously. You know that the elders would not be happy if they knew what we were doing?"

"Ooh the elders!" She responded sarcastically. "We'll be frowned at by a bunch of senile old men. I think I just felt a shiver in my spine."

"I thought the jellyfish was an invertebrate." He chuckled in reference to her animal spirit. She laughed and kissed him passionately. Despite it being forbidden, that just made their affair all the more exciting. They were normally far more discrete than this, taking a chance though was what made it so satisfying. They pulled away a little as they heard the third of their elitist group arriving.

"I never would have thought of you as being a voyeur Arctos." Merielax stated as the Bear Master arrived, causing his lover to giggle nervously. They had indeed been caught, though fortunately it was only by Arctos. The three of them formed a group within the temple that enjoyed a certain prestige. As three of the most powerful masters, they were fearsome warriors, and had enjoyed much success on the battlefield against the forces of Dai Shi. As well as outright power, they also formed a unit that made them a formidable force.

Of course along with their success came pride, pride which quickly turned to arrogance. Seeing themselves as the elite among the temple's warriors, they began to look at others with disdain. The students had even given the nickname of the "Sacred Triad", and many whispered that they would be the three who were destined to bring about Dai Shi's destruction. Those who had seen them in battle, and definitely those who had the misfortune of opposing them found it hard to argue this point.

"You two really should stick to hiding in dormitories and cupboards." Arctos said sarcastically. "The owl might be a weak old fool, but he would think nothing of ordering you to end your relationship."

"Give it a rest Arctos, you'll live longer." Aurelia taunted him. He growled under his breath at her as she released her lover, allowing him to begin getting dressed. "Maybe if you lay off the..."

"What I do and how I train are none of your concern!" He snapped angrily. "I am still the most powerful of the Triad."

"That didn't stop me kicking your butt, remember?" Aurelia taunted him. Arctos snarled, but let the slight drop. Despite his distaste for having women in the temple, he had to afford Aurelia a certain level of respect. While technically the weakest of the three in terms of raw power, she easily made up for it in guile and misdirection. Deception and trickery many would say, but Arctos couldn't deny the fact that it had been him she defeated to earn her Master's stripes. A fact she would taunt him about to get a rise out of him, though only when he was in a comparatively good temper. Playing the Bear Master's nerves was a dangerous game, more than one student could testify to that, but it was a game she played expertly, always stopping just short of causing him to snap.

"Well it'll be a while before we have to worry about him." He grumbled, backing down from her taunts. "He'll be too busy..."

Merielax silenced him by holding a finger to his lips. Arctos turned to see Master Bobo approaching. His Hawk Owl spirit was carrying him in its talons, lifting him through the air on its mighty wings as he searched for his fellow master. He landed a short distance away and recalled it into himself, approaching him aggressively. The look on his face said everything that needed to, but it was clear the Temple Master had more to say.

"How's the girl?" Arctos asked insincerely.

"She'll be fine." Bobo began. "Now why don't you tell me what in the hell your problem is? She was defeated!"

"She needs to grow up if she's ever to become a master." He replied. "Her enemies will have no mercy, why should I? Just because she's your..."

"Her relationship to me is none of your business Arctos." Bobo told him sternly. "If you disrespect the rules of this temple, or any of my students, then you disrespect ME! That is something that will not be tolerated!"

"She'll live." Arctos sneered. "Besides, the exercise is full contact."

"You are taking no students until further notice." Master Bobo declared loudly. "I will inform the Elders of my edict. When you prove yourself worthy to return to teaching, then we'll talk. Until then you would do well to learn to focus all that anger more constructively."

He still felt guilty about the death of Master Ursa. He had been overseeing the challenge between him and Camille in the temple on that fateful day. He should have seen that something about her had changed, but he couldn't until she took her animal form and defeated the old bear dismissively. Although he had acted in accordance with his position, he still didn't foresee the events which would unfold next.

Another student stepped from the ranks and approached, speaking in defence of Camille's actions, insulting the old master.

He could see the rage in the young Arctos's face then. Despite not being his true son, much like Shen was not his daughter, Ursa had raised him as an infant since his father signed him over to the temple. He was the only father Arctos had ever known. They could only watch in horror as the unnamed student broke his neck, bringing death to the temple for the first time since its creation. It stood in Bobo's mind as one of his greatest failures. Arctos had carried a lot of anger with him since the loss of his adoptive father, and Bobo's guilt had led to him giving the young bear a lot of patience over the years. Now though, he was beginning to regret that decision.

"I sense a disturbance in the forest. It is Dai Shi's warriors." Master Bobo declared. "I must take care of Shen. Do not disappoint me Arctos."

"As if I could." He sneered in response as the three arrogant young warriors brushed past the old master. "I am still the mightiest..."

Master Bobo snarled as he drew his short-sword, levelling it over Arctos' shoulder, the keen edge grazing his cheek.

"Do not deign to challenge me Arctos." Master Bobo warned him more seriously. By now all three of the sacred triad could tell he had over-stepped the mark. "Do remember that it took you three attempts to earn your stripes, and do not forget that it was I that defeated you both times you failed."

The triad left without another word. Master Bobo meanwhile made his way to the infirmary to check on the condition of his prized student.

Shen lay on the bed as the healers checked on her condition. Master Bobo arrived just as Huan had finished administering a pain-relieving remedy.

"How bad is it?" He asked the chief healer.

"Nothing was broken, which is a miracle in itself." He replied, listing her injuries. "She has more than a few deep muscle bruises, and the lacerations to her abdomen went a little deeper than I thought. There was some muscle damage, so I've got her on a course of Ling-Shu potion to repair the muscle tissue faster.

"I trust you." Master Bobo responded to this last assertion. The healers were skilled in the use of herbal remedies, and had many near-miraculous medicines, though some were not without their risks. Ling-Shu was a potion which had been all but completely outlawed by the temple. While it assisted in the regeneration and growth of muscle tissue with impressive results, long-term use was dangerous, and gravely affected the state of mind of the user. In the temple, only Huan was allowed to know how to brew the potion to control its use, swearing only to pass the secret on to another before he passed on. Shen and Master Bobo both knew the potential dangers, but it was unlikely she'd recover for many months, if at all without it. Huan didn't prescribe the dangerous medication for fun.

He knelt down beside Shen's bed as Huan left. He gently stroked her hair and she stirred at his touch, turning to face him. Tears ran down her face, troubling the old master.

"Does is still hurt?" He asked her. "I can get Huan to come back..."

"I'm alright." She sighed. "I failed the trial."

"Yes, you did my child." He said sadly. "It was not yet your time."

"I'm sorry father." She muttered.

"You have nothing to apologise for, you did your best." He told her sagely. "You are not the first student to fail, and I sincerely doubt you will be the last."

"He defeated me easily." She sobbed. "I never knew I was so weak."

"Master Arctos is a powerful foe." The old master conceded. "However, no one is infallible. Even he has not always been successful."

"Do you think I'll ever get my stripes?" She asked him, staring up at him with tears sparkling in her eyes.

"I'm certain of it." He answered her cheerfully, wiping away some of her tears. "Just between you and me, Arctos failed twice before he finally earned his stripes."

"Really?" She asked. "Who could have beaten him?"

"Let's just say your old man wasn't always an old man." He replied, ruffling her hair playfully. Shen laughed, but winced as she pulled a little at the stitches in her stomach.

"I'll leave you to rest." He told her. "Goodnight Shen. You did well, I'm proud of you."

"Father!" She called after him. Master Bobo stopped in the doorway to turn back. "Someday I'll be a great master, just like you."

"No you won't." He replied with a warm smile. "You'll be even greater."

Shen smiled and settled down into the bed, drifting off to sleep as the old master left. It had been a trying day for him, but he was sure his beloved Shen would be alright in the end.

Back in his private chambers, Master Arctos returned after the battle. He had been thankful for the opportunity to work off some aggression. He had been humiliated in front of his comrades by Master Bobo.

Moving over to his cabinet, he unlocked it, revealing the secret to his over-developed musculature. Despite their belief to the contrary, Huan was not the only one who could brew Ling-Shu. He had been taking it now to supplement his training and increase his power now for three years. Since he was not going to be teaching students for the foreseeable future, he figured it was best to focus on his own training and convince the Elders to overturn the Temple Master's decision based on his accomplishments in battle.

As he carelessly quaffed dangerous quantities of the brew, he recalled the day of his greatest humiliation.

The young student was borne to the ground hard as Master Bobo stood against him. He drove his bear-claw weapon into the concrete in frustration.

"If you want to beat me then you must remain calm Ling!" The owl warned him. He couldn't contain himself. Here he was in his trial and this sanctimonious old man was STILL lecturing him? He called forth his bear spirit, launching it into the attack. Master Bobo responded by calling his Hawk Owl, dashing it aside.

"I'm sorry Ling, you have failed." He told him, gesturing to the setting sun. "You still have much to learn."

He felt the bile rising in him as he saw this. He was about to be defeated in his destiny to follow his father's footsteps for a second time. Clutching his bear claws tightly, his anger turned into a murderous rage as Master Bobo turned his back to walk away. He lunged forward with a savage cry.

Master Bobo turned to see him coming. Even at this point he was powerful; stronger than himself, but strength had never been the bear's problem. It had always been control. Reacting instinctively to save his own life, he drew his short-sword, smashing the bear claws from his side, before striking a savage downward blow. The student collapsed to his knees, his hands clasped over his left eye and shrieked in agony. Master Bobo cast forth his Hawk Owl spirit to fetch the healers. He looked around and satisfied himself only he and Ling were there. He had elected to perform this trial alone, hoping that the lack of an audience would ease the bear student's enthusiasm and allow him to focus. Now it was the only reason he wasn't being expelled on the spot by the Elders for his disgraceful actions.

"Only you and I know of this." He informed the student. "I swear I will say nothing, but you must learn from this!"

As Huan arrived, inspecting his injury, Master Bobo swore to carry the secret of what really happened to the grave, despite knowing the Elders would likely punish him for injuring a student so gravely, but he didn't care. Ling had already lost an eye; he figured he didn't deserve to lose his home too.

He had been given Ling-Shu to aid in his recovery, but rather than accept his Master's charity and understanding, he had instead taken it as a message he needed more power to finally attain his destiny. It was then that he stole the secrets to brewing it. Now he had been using it to supplement his strength.

As he quaffed more of the solution, his mind turned back to the battle earlier in the day. Despite everyone's assertions, he, Merielax and Aurelia had faced Dai Shi's forces more than any of the others. They knew better than anyone that his forces grew stronger by the day. This time they had all suffered greater injuries than they were used to. Perhaps it was time to find another path.

Aurelia disentangled herself from Merielax's arms and left his bed, beginning to slowly get dressed as he watched her from the covers.

"What's on your mind?" He asked her. "Normally you wait until morning to leave."

"You know the old buzzard will be watching us more closely." She commented angrily. "I can't believe he humiliated Arctos like that!"

"We all know how much he coddles that little girl." He snorted in response, getting out of the bed and coming to her side, kissing her neck. She melted a little at his touch; his voice was sweet music to her. "Arctos himself would tell you he's never been the deepest thinker. It was foolish to brutalise her so much."

"But Arctos is a master!" She responded. "He deserves respect! We all do!"

"Well we could always teach him a lesson." Merielax suggested. "Of course we just have to be a little...subtle about how we do it."

"We can't challenge him." She whispered. "His ego wouldn't allow him to admit it, but we both know Arctos is afraid of him."

"Well we could find another way to hurt him." He suggested, wrapping his arms around her and smelling her hair. "After all, if HE attacks US..."

"Then he'll be the one to be reprimanded." She said with a grin. "You know, I think I have an idea of how to get to him."

"I have a feeling we're on the same page." Merielax chuckled.

"He'll never prove a thing." She replied. "I think it's time our little humming bird got a little extra tuition."