Chapter 5
With everyone together again Kon delivered the next mission the turtles would have to overcome.
"There is a large lake where the water runs in the opposite. Creatures appear from the water where the next artifact lies. The creatures control the water and will not hesitate to pull you down. Go with Hisomi and journey a day and a half to the forest of lost souls and gather the lost artifact." Kon demanded.
And with that the four turtles and Hisomi rode together for almost two days. Isamu was going to keep the vision he had about the rat creature to himself for the time being. Shin was having conservation with Mitsuo inside of his Mitsuo's head with Mitsuo still speaking to Shin. Ryuunosuke stood watch over everyone before going over to Isamu to have small conversation.
"Hello Isamu." Ryuunosuke said.
"Ryuunosuke" Isamu said.
"Are you feeling okay?" Ryuunosuke asked.
"Why are asking me something stupid?" Isamu stated.
"I ask because after the training with the masters you've been different." Ryuunosuke explained.
"Different? If you mean by my strength and power then yes." Isamu said proudly.
Ryuunosuke shook his head.
"You know what I mean Isamu. I can feel a difference not in power but something in the mind. If there is something you want to talk to me about just call me." Ryuunosuke said.
As Ryuunosuke was walking away Isamu reached out at the end of his shirt and pulled a bit. Ryuunosuke turned around to see Isamu with his head turned to the side muttering,
"Since you asked I guess I need to tell you."
Ryuunosuke chuckled a bit. Taking a seat next to Isamu, Ryuunosuke listen to Isamu talk about the rat creature and how he felt a connection that he has never felt before from him. Ryuunosuke listened to every word Isamu told him.
"So do you think I'm crazy?" Isamu tried to joke.
Ryuunosuke shook his head.
"I don't believe you are Isamu. There is something I felt when we all saw each other that I cannot explain. Just like you I felt a connection with the three of you but never spoke of it because I didn't want to jump to conclusions. But now that you have a feeling with this rat creature then maybe there is something being hidden from all of us." Ryuunosuke explained.
Isamu was relieved.
"If this happens again can I talk to you?" Isamu asked.
Ryuunosuke nodded his head.
"Any time Isamu." Ryuunosuke stood up and was about to walk away before turning back towards Isamu. "By the way it's Ryuu."
"Ryuu?" Isamu asked a bit confused.
"My friends call me Ryuu." Ryuunosuke smirked.
Isamu chuckled a bit.
Ryuunosuke walked over to Mitsuo and Shin to join in their conversation as they waited Forest of Lost Souls to come into view.
The ship landed by the entrance of the forest. The four turtles departed from the ship leaving Hisomi to wait until they came back with the artifact.
The four turtles walked towards the forest entrance. As they passed through the entrance each turtle could feel their body being lifted up into the air. Shin placed a finger on Mitsuo's shoulder and told them they were walking spirits.
"What do you mean Shin?" Mitsuo asked.
"Only spirits can enter this forest so our bodies are being carried away to the end." Shin said.
"What will happen to our bodies?" Mitsuo asked.
"If we don't reach our bodies soon then we'll become spirits like the ones floating around us." Shin pointed up to.
Everyone looked up to see will-o-wisp floating above them.
Shin explained to Mitsuo who told the others that because they have mastered control of their spirits their minds could transition the change from the real world to the spirit world without them noticing. Shin also told the group that angry spirits will come for their bodies so they could leave this forest.
"We need to hurry." Isamu stated.
The group nodded their heads.
"Shin can you go ahead of us?" Ryuunosuke asked.
Shin shook his head. Shin walked over to Ryuunosuke and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Our powers will not work without our bodies." Shin said.
Isamu reached for his weapon but all he felt was the air.
"What the fuck? Where's Byakko?" Isamu yelled.
Mitsuo and Ryuunosuke reached for their own weapons but they too were gone.
"They are in the physical world not in the spiritual." Shin said.
"Great weaponless and without our bodies, what else could go wrong?" Isamu muttered.
"That." Mitsuo pointed to.
Everyone turned around to see the forest entrance was closing in on them.
"Run!" Ryuunosuke yelled.
The four turtles started sprinting as fast as they could. The forest was closing in on them and some of the spirits were turning red and flying towards them. Mitsuo ducked and rolled across the ground as the spirit impacted with the ground and made grater. Ryuunosuke flipped over two spirits flying at him.
"We're almost there!" Mitsuo yelled.
As the four turtles ran with the forest closing in and spirits attacking them Shin left his body fall to the ground. Shin looked down at the ground to see one of the spirits he dodged was holding onto his ankle. Shin couldn't yell out for help nor was he noticed by the others as they ran.
Just as the forest was about to cave in on him Shin left his body being pulled up and away. Shin looked up to see Isamu was carrying him on his back.
"Hold on tight Shin!" Isamu yelled.
Isamu pushed his body as he ran towards Mitsuo and Ryuunosuke who were fending off incoming spirits.
"Move!" Isamu yelled.
Ryuunosuke and Mitsuo pushed Isamu carrying Shin on his back in front of them before running again.
Shin placed his hand on Isamu's side telling him,
"Put me down. I'm only slowing you down."
"Hell no Shin. If I stop we'll all be killed. Now shut up and let me save your life." Isamu yelled.
"But-" Looking at Mitsuo for support.
"No buts Shin. Now let Isamu carry you." Mitsuo stated.
Shin turned his head to Mitsuo and nodded his head. He knew he wasn't going to win the battle so he just took his hand off of Isamu's side and let it dangle in the air.
"We have problems!" Ryuunosuke yelled.
Everyone looked ahead of them to see a wall of angry spirits blocking their path.
"What are we going to do now?" Isamu yelled.
Behind them the forest was closing in on them but in front was angry spirits that wanted to take their bodies.
"Great now we have two choices on how to die." Isamu said sarcastically
Shin placed his hand on Isamu and demanded that he had to place down. Isamu obeyed because there was something in Shin's tone. Even in his mind Shin's emotions could be told easily just by skin to skin contact. When Isamu placed Shin down everyone noticed that Isamu's arm was glowing.
"So that's why Shin wanted to get down." Ryuunosuke said now realizing what was happening.
"But why is it glowing?" Mitsuo asked.
Isamu moved his sleeve away from his arm to examine it when all of a sudden a bolt of electricity shot out. The electricity moved through the air towards the angry spirits. The energy started to take form.
"That's him!" Isamu shouted.
"What's him?" Mitsuo asked. Ryuunosuke moved beside Isamu as the energy formed itself into the rat creature in the brown kimono. The creature looked at the wall of angry spirits, the creature placed his hand their side and summoned a small walking cane. The creature jumped at the wall of angry spirits, striking down with its cane the creature destroyed the wall of angry spirits.
"I'll hold off the wall! Run through to the other side!" The creature yelled.
The creature disappeared and reappeared pushing back with his hands as the wall continued to move towards the turtles.
The rat pushed with both of his hands but all he could do was slow the wall down just a bit. The wall was too strong for the small rat. Shin was going to run over to help the rat creature but the creature yelled,
"Don't worry about me! Go now my sons!"
Ryuunosuke and Isamu pulled Shin away with Mitsuo leading them out of the forest. As they left the forest each of the turtles returned to their bodies. Isamu reach onto his back and felt his beloved Byakko there. Shin walked over to Isamu and placed his hand on his shoulder.
"Who was that?" Shin asked.
"Don't know." Isamu said.
"More importantly why did he call us his sons?" Mitsuo asked.
"I don't have the answers. I've never meant him before in my life." Isamu stated.
"But you were the one that the creature was summoned from." Mitsuo said.
Ryuunosuke stood between Mitsuo and Isamu. He could see it was getting heated and he didn't want it to break into a fight.
"Forget about the rat we need to find the artifact. After that we can have a long talk on our walk home. Agree?" Ryuunosuke asked.
Isamu and Mitsuo begrudgingly agreed but there was a dense atmosphere and silence as they looked for the lake that flowed backwards.
"It's near." Shin told Ryuunosuke.
Ryuunosuke closed his eye and used some of his energy to find the correct path to the lake.
"Follow me." Ryuunosuke said as he started running.
Mitsuo, Shin, and Isamu followed behind Ryuunosuke. Jumping over large ravines, hopping across rocks and tree limps until they discovered the lake they were looking for. Everyone hid behind some brush surveying the area.
"Where are they?" Mitsuo asked.
"Maybe in the water." Ryuunosuke said.
"We won't know until we get out there." Isamu stated.
Shin tugged on the sleeve of Mitsuo's clothes and pointed up. Directing everyone attention towards the tall rocks above the lake they saw a small chest resting on the edge of the cliff.
"We have a reason now." Isamu said pulling out Byakko.
Isamu charged towards the lake. Shin, Mitsuo and Ryuunosuke couldn't stay hidden so they joined Isamu pulling out their own weapons as they ran into the lake. The water under their feet was moving them closer and closer to the middle with each step. It took some of their strength to stay still.
"Do you think they got it wrong?" Mitsuo asked.
Shin pointed up towards the waterfall and shook his head.
Everyone turned to see small droplets of water jump from the waterfall and fall into the lake. The small droplets grew in size and started take form into large creatures with fangs, claws, and spikes on their back.
"You had to ask." Isamu grunted pulling Byakko closer to himself.
The creatures ran towards the turtles. Each turtle took to their own corner in the lake, dividing the groups of water demons as more and more grew from the lake under them.
One water demon went to punch Isamu. Isamu moved to the side and blocked another incoming punch with Byakko. But because he was facing water the demon's attack moved from Byakko towards Isamu. Isamu grabbed on end of Byakko and spun his weapon. Isamu charged at the water demons, slicing and stabbing with his weapon all he could do was create some distance between the growing number and size closing in on him.
"Mitsuo!" Isamu yelled.
Mitsuo was slicing and twirling his Banrai but just like Isamu there was no stopping these creatures. Two demons fell back into the water and reappeared behind Mitsuo, twice their normal size they took both of Mitsuo's shoulders and pushed him into the lake. Mitsuo barely had time to get a breath of air before he was submerged under water. Mitsuo struggled to move and as he tried to shake off the demons. Bubbles started to form and float to the surface of the water. Mitsuo looked over in the corner of his eye, he saw one of his comrades, no, his friend feet running towards him.
"Shin you need to get to the chest!" Ryuunosuke yelled.
Shin looked towards Mitsuo as he was being submerged in the water.
"I got him go!" Ryuunosuke ordered as he sliced down the middle with Gunshin. Shin looked back at Mitsuo then to Ryuunosuke. Shin nodded his head and ran towards the waterfall.
Ryuunosuke started running towards Mitsuo. More and more water demons appeared blocking his path.
"Let me move!" Ryuunosuke yelled.
Taking Gunshin in both of his hands Ryuunosuke focused his energy into the blade. Gunshin took some of Ryuunosuke's energy and turned it into blue flames that intertwined with its self.
"By the dragon's fire, you shall burn for your mistakes!" Ryuunosuke yelled.
Ryuunosuke with the help of Gunshin released a stream of blue fire at the demons. The demons evaporated into the air. Ryuunosuke ran over to Mitsuo and pulled him out of the water.
"Mitsuo are you okay?" Ryuunosuke asked very panicked.
Mitsuo was coughing some water out of his body.
"Peachy." Mitsuo spat.
Ryuunosuke and Mitsuo chuckled.
"Shin!" Isamu yelled.
Mitsuo and Ryuunosuke looked up and exclaimed, "Shin!" at the same time.
Looking up each of the gasped as they watched in horror Shin dangling over the edge with one of the water demons holding him by his throat, a capsule of water covered his head. If the fall didn't kill him then Shin would surely drown.
"Isamu!" Ryuunosuke yelled.
Isamu was distracted with what was happening to Shin that he forgot about the water demons around him. Isamu was pushed to the edge of the lake, as Isamu shook off the attack some of the water demons returned to the lake and formed streams of water around Isamu.
"I'll get Isamu you get Shin." Ryuunosuke ordered.
Mitsuo nodded his head and sprinted forward towards Shin. Ryuunosuke summoned some of his energy back into Gunshin and released another shot next to Isamu. The streams holding Isamu lost some of its power leaving Isamu enough time and energy to pull out Byakko and channel some of his energy into it. Isamu used the movement of the water to help him turn and twist around.
"Leaving Wind make my enemies disappear into the air!" Isamu yelled.
The water around Isamu and Ryuunosuke was sucked up into the tornado Isamu created. Almost all the water disappeared thanks to Isamu but the waterfall still stood and started to refill the lake. More water demons started to form and move towards Isamu and Ryuunosuke.
Back to back the two turtles ready themselves for a fight.
Above them Mitsuo was climbing the rocks to the top but he was running out of time. Shin's body was losing strength and his limps were as heavy as lead. In the back of his mind he remembered what his master Juto told him. If someone is holding back the mission then forget them and leave them to die. Mitsuo's body shook, how could he possibility forget about Shin but then again the mission must come first. Mitsuo took out Banrai and channeled some energy into his weapon. As Banrai glowed, Mitsuo made his decision.
"Banrai strike down my enemies with your thunder!"
Mitsuo's body and Banrai turned around and around, Mitsuo flew up towards Shin and the water demon. Shin looked down through the water and clouded vision to see Mitsuo flying towards him with Banrai ready to strike him down. Shin closed his eyes because he didn't want to see his own death by the one person he thought of as a friend. Shin relaxed his body as Mitsuo came closer and closer.
In the last second Shin felt his body fall backwards he opened his eyes to see Mitsuo cut the arm that was holding him. As Shin fell backwards Mitsuo threw one part of Banrai at the water demon; hooking the demon in the head and dragging it to the ground. The other part he flung so the chain could hook onto Shin's leg and the weapon its self could link the two to each other. Mitsuo held onto the chain holding Shin tightly while digging the one he threw at the water demon towards him. The demon dissipated; Mitsuo pulled Shin up towards him and freed him from Banrai. Shin nodded his head and placed a hand on Mitsuo's shoulder.
"Thanks." Shin said.
"Anything for a friend." Mitsuo smiled.
"I thought I was going to die." Shin admitted.
Mitsuo shook his head.
"I would never kill a friend." Mitsuo said placing his hand on Shin's shoulder and giving it a slight squeeze.
Shin and Mitsuo turned their heads back to the waterfall when a gigantic tower of blue flames. Mitsuo and Shin ran over to the edge to see the entire lake and waterfall was gone leaving only Ryuunosuke and Isamu on the ground. Isamu was behind a badly wounded Ryuunosuke.
Shin used his energy and the two moved quickly to the bottom of grater of what use to be the lake with the chest in Mitsuo's arms.
"What happened?" Mitsuo demanded.
Isamu cradling Ryuunosuke's body in his arms could only say,
"He protected me. He saved me."
The two turtles looked down at Ryuunosuke. He had burns all across his chest and arms. Part of his face was burned. The ones on his chest looked like they were third degree while the rest where second. But the ones on his arms received the brunt of the attack; fourth degree. Ryuunosuke would never be able to battle again.
"What do we do now?" Shin asked through Mitsuo.
Isamu, Mitsuo, and Shin looked at each other.
"We have to kill him." Isamu said with no emotion.