Warriors Spirit

Chapter 9:

Bella entered the dojo then swiftly backtracked to remove her shoes before stepping on the tatami mats. She wasn't sure if Splinter would be offended or not but she wasn't going to take that chance in someone else's home. Once her shoes were safely removed she walked into the room and towards the weapons rack. She glanced over the sai, bow staffs, nunchukkus and other ninja weapons before stopping before an array of different blades. From Katana to tanto they glittered in the dim candlelight. She vaguely wondered how the small family had accumulated the collection but put it down to the enemies they had fought over the years or something along those lines. She had trained with the western short sword herself and considered herself to be reasonably good.

Bella gingerly removed one of the katana from its wall stand before unsheathing it. The first thing she noted was that it was considerably lighter than her short sword which confused her slightly. The sword was certainly longer than her short sword and she would have thought that it would be heavier. The second thing she noticed was the balance. Her short sword was made by the best blacksmiths in the guild but the balance was only near perfect. The sword she held in her hand was perfectly balanced and beautifully crafted.

"It was given to me by a close friend." Leo's voice sounded from the doorway. Bella squeaked and nearly dropped the sword.

"I'm sorry!" Bella exclaimed before re-sheathing the sword and carefully returning it to its place on the wall. "I shouldn't have touched it I…"

"I didn't know you were interested in swords." Leo crossed his arms, leant against the door frame and smirked as he watched how flustered Bella was getting at being caught nosing.

"Well I was taught to use a sword from a young age as a last line of defence in battle." Bella explained a little defensively. She stopped at Leo's responding look. "What?"

"You can use a sword?" Leo asked with a look of surprise on his face.

"A short sword yes." She replied suspiciously.

"You any good?" He asked with a smirk.

"Relatively." She responded not liking where this was going.

"Prove it." Leo replied walking over to the rack holding six wooden swords and tossed one to her.

"I beg your pardon?" Bella asked catching the sword but looking at him quizzically.

"Spar with me." Leo picked up his own wooden sword and spun it around a few times. "I want to see how good you are. Especially if your swordsmanship is meant to be for protection." Bella rolled her eyes but got into position nonetheless. She wasn't feeling too comfortable with the wooden weapon which was at least half a foot longer than she was used to. She stood ready for Leo's attack but it didn't come. After several minutes, Bella made the first move. She rushed forward, feigned right then attacked to the left. Leonardo easily slipped around her without even needing to use his weapon. Bella stumbled slightly and growled before steadying herself and attacking again concentrating a little more. This time she got closer to hitting him but he blocked every blow. He dropped and knocked her feet out from under her and brought his blade down as if to strike. Bella brought hers up quickly to protect herself. There was an audible crack as the wooden blades met.

"Not bad." Leo said helping her up.

"You still beat me at every turn." Bella almost whined with slightly red cheeks.

"Yes, but I'm a master of ninjitsu and you're a master of sorcery." Leo shook his head and shrugged in amusement, "You have skills and potential to be better. I could help train you if you'd like?"

"You'd train me?" Bella blinked as her face reddened further, "But you have your own training and you have your patrolling to do and…"

"It's no trouble and I would feel better knowing that you have a better back up for your magic." Leo admitted. "So who trained you originally?"

"My father at first. He taught me until I was eight, then various tutors after that." Bella told him.

"He taught you well." Leo told her. "You have the basics down and every now and again you are able to get some strikes in. But you tend to telegraph badly so anyone with equal or higher skill can read you like a book."

"Oh, thanks." Bella rested her sword over her shoulder and scowled at him.

"It's an observation not a criticism." Leo chuckled holding his hands up defensively. "You need to work on your flow. Learn to react and attack without thinking. When you can do that you will be harder to beat."

"I see and how exactly am I supposed to plan attacks without thinking?" Bella asked.

"Training." Leo responded simply.

"Do you know what I went through to become a master of sorcery?" Bella rolled her eyes.

"Not up to the challenge?" Leonardo taunted.

"Ha! You wish pervert!" Bella grinned at him as he rolled his eyes at her nickname for him.

"Well then we start with centring yourself." Leo said taking her sword and replacing it and his sword back on the rack then sitting down in the lotus position. "I assume you're familiar with meditation?"

"Well now you're just being insulting." Bella scoffed but sat down and positioned herself as Leonardo had done. She had indeed learned meditation but sorcery did not demand a specific position when performing such techniques.

"Concentrate on your breathing and your body. Be aware of every part of your body, then become aware of everything around you as well. Become one with your surroundings and all that is going on around you." He fell silent and all Bella could hear was his breathing. She got herself comfortable and concentrated on her own breathing. Bella had of course learned some basic meditation techniques when she was a student in the guild and from being around Lin Mai. It was an integral part of the white magick basics. Unfortunately she had always craved adventure and while she tolerated learning enough to cast most basic healing spells and the spell she had used on Raphael just a few short weeks before, that was all she tolerated. She had concentrated on attack magic from then on, how to defend herself and cause as much damage to her enemies as possible to protect her friends and family. She could however feel as Leonardo slipped into the astral plain. It was as if a huge wave of energy washed over her and it was all consuming.

"Bella? Bella!" Leo slapped her lightly as he tried to gain the attention of the ailing sorceress.

"Leo?" Bella opened her eyes questioningly noticing that the massive energy had dispersed.

"What happened?" Leo's worried brown eyes studied her as she studied him.

"How often have you and your brother's been discovered here?" Bella asked.

"Here?" Leo asked looking confused.

"Humour me." She deadpanned.

"Here, never. We have been discovered a few times at other homes but each time we've moved on. Don's found a few back up lairs over the years. Just in case but he's the only one who knows where they are."

"I see." She paused for a moment as if thinking about something. "Can we try this again tomorrow? I need to do a few things."

"Um, yeah ok." Leo watched as she got to her feet and trotted off into the lair. He rubbed his head before getting up, feeling oddly disappointed. He spent the next twenty minutes going through his katas to clear his head. When he was finished he made his way out to the sitting room where he found Raph sat watching the TV with Mai and Bella sat beside him deep in conversation in a foreign language. Raph did not look happy and could not decide whether it was because they were talking over whatever he was watching or because they were talking in what sounded like Chinese.

"You know I love ta hear ya voice Mai but only when I can understand ya!" Raph snapped as he crossed his arms and scowled. "Don't think I never figured out why ya do that either! I know you're plannin' ta do something you know I won't like!"

"Calm down Raph." Mai rolled her eyes, "We're just talking girl talk is all."

"Yeah right." Raph's scowl deepened at what Leo thought was an honest answer, "I've known you two long enough ta know that girl talk means ya grin and giggle! You two are as serious as they come. Means somethin' is up and ya don't wanna tell me. So fess up and spill!" Leo raised a brow, he knew Raph had known them for a while but he didn't realise his brother had it in him to notice the subtleties of a girl's behaviour. He had certainly never tried with April.

"Will you calm down!" Bella jumped in on the small domestic. "If you must know I've been contacted by the guild. They've discovered evidence that hunters are active in this city and they want me to investigate. I was simply discussing it with Mai because she has extensive experience tracking and fighting those idiots."

"Speaking of which we should get going." Mai said leaning over to peck Raph on the cheek, "We are just going out to scout the city. Nothing risky just going out to see if we can sense anything."

"No fights, got it?" Raph held Mai by the arms and looked her dead in the eye. Leo had to hold back an awestruck gasp at the intensity of the stare his brother gave Lin Mai.

"You know what the hunters are like Raph." Mai replied, cupping his cheek, "If we come across anyone in danger of those monsters I will intervene."

"I don't like it." Raph turned his head away, "I should be out there with you."

"When you're back to full fighting form we'll see." Mai chuckled as he childishly rolled his eyes but he turned back to his girlfriend and they shared a chaste kiss. Leo felt like he was intruding a little but smiled warmly at the scene nonetheless.

"Let's go." Bella called from the doorway.

"Be careful." Raph said so only Mai could hear. Mai responded with another kiss, this time a little deeper than before, and left with Bella.

"Hey bro." Leo greeted finally entering the room properly.

"They're lying Leo." Raph told him as he clenched his fists. "And there ain't nothin' I can do about it right now."

"Want me to go after them?" Leo asked getting concerned himself. If Raphael was worried then something had to be up.

"I'd rather go after them myself." He replied.

"Oh no. You are not going anywhere. You're not ready! You're…"

"I know!" Raph raised his hands.

"You're listening to me?!" Leo asked shocked, "Will wonders never cease!" he teased.

"Don't flatter yourself bro." Raph turned his scowl on his brother, "It ain't you I'm listening to. Mai wants me ta behave. So I'll behave. For her and no one else."

"Why Raph that's kinda sweet." Leo smirked.

"You wouldn't think that if you knew what she was capable of." Raph smirked right back, "Ain't nothin' sweet about it. It's self-preservation!"

"Are you scared of a woman Raph?" Leo laughed. "You sound like Casey!"

"Scared? No. But I ain't stupid and know when I ain't got a chance of beatin' someone." Raph shook his head.

"She can't be that good." Leo raised a brow.

"Yeah bro, she can. But the hunters are good too. And there's only so many she can take at once. Bella too." Raph frowned.

"I'll keep an eye on them little brother. I promise." Leo squeezed Raph's shoulder then left he lair to find the girls who said brother was so fond of.

The small chat had been just that, but it had given Bella and Mai enough time to get a head start and he wasn't sure where to begin searching for them. Leo had promised his brother he would find and look out for the girls so that's what he would do.

"We could have told them you know." Leo stopped dead in his tracks. He made a face and listened harder to figure out where Mai's voice had come from.

"They have enough to worry about." He heard Bella this time and headed towards the voices. He didn't get too close knowing that Bella would sense him, he was sure Mai could as well.

"They're big boys you know." He heard the mirth in Mai's voice.

"Quiet you. I am just backing up Donatello's security systems with a little of my own security." Bella stated. Leo found himself smiling and shook his head wondering why that would make him smile.

"His energy was that obvious when he meditated then huh?" Mai asked.

"It knocked me for six. Reminds me of you when you were a kid and didn't know how to channel your chi." Leo frowned wondering what on earth they were talking about. He had felt nothing odd when he and Bella had tried meditating. His heart had skipped a beat when he had sensed something wrong with Bella and realised she had collapsed. But he was meditating as normal.

"And if the guild are right and hunters are mobilising in New York it wouldn't take them long to find come across blue boy." Mai said, "Isn't that right boy scout?" Leo took in an involuntary breath then sighed before closing the gap between them and revealing himself.

"How long were you standing there?!" Bella asked going intriguingly red.

"Long enough." Leo shrugged, "What did you mean when you were talking about my energy?" The girls looked at each other then back at him.

"Raphael told me once about your adventures as acolytes of the ninja tribunal." Mai started, "From what he's told me, they are the ones who first taught you how to truly tap into your spiritual energy or chi am I right?"

"It was under their tutelage that we realised we had dragon avatars." Leo admitted.

"You have...?" Mai started but stopped herself, "Never mind, what I'm trying to say is. The tribunal taught you to utilise and use your energy but not how to mask it or regulate it am I right?"

"I don't understand." Leo frowned, "We learned how to use our chi as weapons but without our tribunal weapons or medallions we lost that ability."

"You mean to tell me those old coots used an amplifier to open up your chi channels and just left you to the rest?!" Bella asked incredulously.

"Well it was a little more training than that." Leo was getting annoyed now. He was confused and it was making him cross, "Listen. I think you ladies need to explain yourselves better. What on earth are the pair of you talking about?"

"Do you want to explain? I need to finish this charm. There are four more spots I want to place some as well."

"If you insist." Mai shrugged. She noticed Leo turn to her with his arms crossed with an expectant look on his face. She sighed to give her mind a few more seconds to think of how to explain something to someone who had probably been taught in a different manner. "Once the chi channels of a warrior are opened, they can never be closed again. It is a sign that those warriors are attaining something beyond the level of master and is something to be truly proud of. When I learned that Raphael had attained this level I was surprised and intrigued. It was at that time that I started to ask him to spar with me."

"He's picked up a few moves from you." Leo stated thinking back. "I've noticed one or two more unusual strikes he's used over the last year or so. I asked him about it a few times but he always got defensive and stormed off whenever I brought it up."

"Yes I suppose he has." Mai smirked, "I noticed the same thing with Raphael that Bella has noticed with you. It took some persuading but I worked with Raph a little to help him learn to mask his chi. The trouble is the longer the chi channels are open and the warrior does not learn to control the chi it begins to build. Eventually it can become too much for that warrior and they become ill. If it is not addressed it can …. Uh, well let's just say it can consume you."

"Why would the tribunal not tell us this?" Leonardo asked.

"They have used magic to control their chi." Bella said indicating for her friends to follow her so she could set up the rest of her charms. "Those old coots combined the use of martial arts and magicks long forgotten to become immortal. Somehow they have managed to feed on their chi in order to live forever." Bella stopped as if getting her bearings then went down a tunnel to the right. Leo and Mai followed. "I sincerely doubt they would know how to teach anyone without the ability to use magic how to control their chi. Mai on the other hand is one of the best at controlling and masking her chi which is why she helped Raphael."

"So what you're saying is that Mai should be training us." Leo almost growled.

"Not if you don't want her to no." Bella replied barely noticing that she had upset Leo.

"Personally I think you all would do well to meet my master." Mai told him honestly hoping not to offend Leo further.

"You do huh?" Leo scowled feeling just a little offended.

"You mentioned earlier that you and your brothers' chi manifest as dragon avatars. Only the most powerful warriors can manifest a dragon avatar." Mai explained, "Millennia ago there were many people who could manifest them. But then there were more warriors' and less reliance on guns and explosives. Now there are only a handful of warriors who have trained to the level and have the skill to manifest a dragon." Mai stared at a point ahead of her intently when she carried on, "the way of the dragon became more of a legend. In our country the temple of the dragon became little more than a myth to all but the most determined warriors who were willing to follow the impossible clues. The monks there are men and women who have dedicated their lives to perfecting their art. Some stay and train as monks and others, like me go out into the world and use our skills to get by in life." Mai studied Leo's body language, "I'm not saying that the tribunal were wrong to teach you what they have."

"Aren't you?" Leo demanded a little more tersely than he'd meant.

"No. You had the potential and therefore the training makes sense." Mai shrugged, "what I am saying is, your training is technically incomplete and this could be dangerous to you and your brothers if left unchecked."

"All right I…" Bella started but Leo's shell cell interrupted her. She gave him a look telling him to answer it.

"Hello?" Leo spoke into the cell, "Angel?" He frowned. "Calm down. Where are you?" He paused to listen for a moment, "How many are there?" Another pause, "OK stay in the crowds and make your way to central park. I'll meet you there."

"Angel?" Bella asked looking from Leo to Mai.

"A friend of the family." Leo replied putting his shell cell away, "She's been attacked. She's on the run now and I need to get to her and make sure she's ok."

"We'll go with you!" Bella declared.

"No." Mai turned to her, "You need to continue your charms. You can join us when your done if needs be, but the protection of their home is important. Especially if hunters are in the city. I will go with Leo and help him rescue Angel." She turned to her lover's brother, "Lead the way Leonardo." Leo simply nodded and set off at a sprint.

It took them a good ten minutes to make their way to an area Leo felt safe to surface. They emerged within the park itself and Mai followed as Leonardo seemed to know exactly where to go. Before long they were nearing the outskirts of the park and it was getting harder and harder to remain hidden.

"Any sign of her?" Mai asked as Leo scanned the crowds before him. He heard people making a fuss about something and looked to his left where he saw someone pushing through the crowds in a hoodie. Behind this person was three men shoving people out of the way as they followed her. As the person being chased neared, he spotted familiar violet bangs peeking out from under her hood and began shadowing her from the trees. "Guess so." Mai rolled her eyes telling herself she would never get used to the ninja mentality before following him.

"Mai there's too many people, can you…?" He didn't even need to finish his question as Mai gracefully leapt from the cover of the trees and towards the girl running ahead.

"Another one?!" Angel growled as Mai caught up and kept pace. "You'll back off if you know what's good for ya!" She warned.

"If you say so." Mai rolled her eyes, "I'm with the turtles. Who are the men chasing you?"

"How should I know?!" She snapped having no reason not to answer the Chinese girl running beside her even if she didn't quite believe that the woman knew the turtles let alone was with them.

"We need to get clear of innocent people." Mai told her, "Leonardo is following in the trees. We can then dispatch these men and get you to safety."

"So you can take me out for them?!" Angel asked now admitting that she didn't believe Mai.

"Fine then I will take them out in front of an audience." Mai signed and skidded to a stop before turning to face the three men. She moved like lightening to ensure that the three pursuers had no time to retaliate let alone attack. Within seconds they were unconscious on the ground. The crowd were muttering in fear and someone shouted about calling the police. At that Mai spun again and dashed towards Angel once more. She then grabbed the other woman by the wrist and pulled her towards a more secluded area where they could rendezvous with Leo.

"Why didn't you wait to take them out in the shadows?!" Leo growled as he landed in the clearing, his presence alone reassuring Angel that all was well with this Chinese woman who had jumped in and helped her out.

"She didn't believe me when I said I was with you, so I had to do something or she wouldn't have come with me!" She shrugged.

"Right." Leo rolled his eyes, "Angel, any idea what they wanted?"

"You guys." She replied. "They said they were from the foot clan and were going after anyone who had ties with you. I didn't even know they knew I knew you!" She wrapped her arms around herself.

"What else?" Leo asked noticing something was off.

"They… They attacked me at home. My brother wasn't home but… but what if he had been. He could have been hurt and it would have been my fault!" She jumped when she could hear sirens to her right.

"We need to go." Leo declared leading the two women away.

The group slipped off into the night before the authorities could stumble across them and headed back to the lair.

Hi All! Well it's been a while. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it tho. Till next time! Toodles! xxx