Chapter 28 – The Power of 4
"I can't believe it." Mikey said hoarsely, his voice sore from all of this crying. "We've lost."
Master Splinter looked around at his miserable sons, his heart heavy. "My sons," He started, "The battle is only lost when we have lost hope."
Leo looked up at his father in dismay. "My hope died the moment she did." He said, indicating to Kim across the room.
Master Splinter followed his son's gaze, tears threatening to fall for his lost daughters. They were his daughters as much as his sons were his children. They were all hurting.
A maniacal laughter filled the room. Well, all except one was hurting. Renaldo sauntered down the steps of the grand hall dressed in a fine tuxedo, red cape and sword at his hip. He stopped in front of the group and spun around.
"Thoughts? King material?"
He laughed more when the group did nothing but glare at him.
"Oh cheer up!" He cheered, "It's the dawn of a new era!" He shrugged, "Of course, you all won't be around to see it. You'll be disposed of along with that Drake once I'm crowned." He looked out the window as the sun was setting. "Which won't be far away now."
He looked up as some knights called for his attention whilst they set up the room and Renaldo walked away.
April sniffed. "I wish the girls were here." She whispered
"I wish I had asked her." Mikey said softly, "If I wasn't so stupid!"
"I should've kept her by my side. If I hadn't let my guard down…" Donnie mused
Leo allowed tears to fall down his face as he looked at Kim.
"I shouldn't have let my feelings cloud my judgement. I love her so much." Leo hung his head, "I'll never get the chance to earn her forgiveness."
"You guys are so sappy!" A voice hissed quietly.
Leo lifted his head and looked around. He looked over at his friends and noticed they were similarly confused.
"What was-" Casey was interrupted as he was punched in the gut. "Hey." He growled only to be punched again.
"Shut up Jones." The voice hissed again, "Don't make me hit ya' again."
"Raphael?" Master Splinter whispered, gaining the others' attention.
"It's me, sensei." Raph replied, "And Emily and I are going to get you out of here."
"How are you doing this?" April asked looking around her.
Raph chuckled. "Stealth Team. Remember?"
April smirked. "The invisibility belt. Clever."
"Emily, get my family out, I'm going to find their weapons." Raph said
Mikey looked around noticing the silence.
"Soooo," He started, "Is he coming back."
Suddenly Mikey was freed and he yelped before falling on his butt.
"Shush!" Emily hissed
Mikey winced before looking over at Renaldo to see he was still distracted.
"Where is she?" Emily said again as she worked on freeing Master Splinter next.
"Where is who?" Leo whispered
Suddenly a loud bang was heard. Everyone in the room turned to stare in the middle of the room where a giant fiery tornado appeared.
The fire alerted more knights who all rushed in and surrounded the tornado. The tornado grew taller and taller before suddenly spreading out like a wave. The knights cried as they were pushed back from the force.
Standing in the centre of the room now was Riley. She was wearing a red ¾ shirt with matching red short shorts. Her arms were covered in white fabric and the same white fabric was tied around the back of her shorts and drifted down to the middle of her legs. Her shorts also had a pure gold belt and buckle. She wore thigh high red leather boots and her hair was let down. Her shirt stopped below her bodice and brown leather straps drifted across her rib cage and met at her chest bone then went up and formed a brown leather collar around her neck.
Riley growled and she held her hands out to the sides. Suddenly a new pair of tall sais appeared in them. They were made of pure silver and the handles were made of pure gold. They were shaped in the heads of dragons with red gem stone eyes.
She twirled them in her hands before holding them in front of her defensively.
"Renaldo!" She roared, her eyes glowing a bright red.
Renaldo turned to face her and started laughing. He walked down the steps and stopped at the last one. He gestured around the room nonchalantly.
"Princess," He greeted, "As you can see you're vastly outnumbered. Care to surrender?"
"Never!" Riley growled, "I'm calling you out Renaldo! You'll pay for what you did to my family!"
Renaldo started laughing manically, his body glowing red and transforming him back into his battle armour. He held his hands out in front of him and they glowed bright.
"Then prepare to die." He hissed before he flew towards her with a growl.
Riley blocked his attack with her sais in front of her but was still pushed back by the force. She kidded along the ground but remained standing. She dropped her hands and smirked.
"I won't go down easy." She sneered before running back at Renaldo.
"What do we do?" Mikey asked as he watched the rest of his family be freed.
"We must keep our distance from Riley." Master Splinter advised as he fell.
"You guys have to take out his followers." Emily said as she re-materialised after freeing the last one. "I'm going to free Drake but I need you guys to take out Renaldo's followers without him knowing. Riley will keep him distracted."
"Then what?" Donnie asked
"The girls handle the rest." Raph replied as he came back carrying everyone's weapons.
"What do you mean 'the girls'?" Leo asked as he was handed his katanas.
Leo looked down at his blood stained blade and grimaced. He looked up when Raph placed a hand on his shoulder. Raph smiled sadly.
"Don't think. Just fight. Trust me." He said
With that Raph led his family into battle once more, this time with renewed vigour.
"I cannot believe we're doing this again." Lilly said as she and Violet strolled casually through the battlefield, everyone passing through them as they did.
"Doing what?" Violet asked as she clutched the spell in her hands and walked towards Kim's limp form.
Lilly rolled her eyes. "You and I, once again, are the covert team sneaking in enemy territory."
Violet stifled a laugh. "Yeah because Riley is our powerhouse. She makes a great entrance too."
Lilly giggled before the two went serious as they approached Kim's body. Lilly gagged but held her composure while Violet knelt beside Kim. The blood didn't stain her as she did though. Violet passed the spell to Lilly and raised her hands over Kim's wound.
"I'm ready." Violet said
"We're almost there sis." Lilly said comfortingly as she watched out for the signal.
The two watched Riley fight Renaldo and their family fight his knights. They weren't alone. They needed Riley's signal and soon.
"Dragon's heart!" Riley cried, a large ball of fire emerging from one of her sais and hurtling towards Renaldo.
The fire ball hit him and sent him flying across the room. He slammed against the railing above before falling to the floor. Renaldo growled in fury and rose, surrounded by glowing energy. His eyes went bright red before he flew forward, his own blade connecting with Riley's twin sais.
The two were strong enough that they were in a deadlock. Renaldo looked into Riley's blazing eyes smugly.
"You're putting up more of a fight than any of your sisters." He said
Riley's eyes shone brighter but she did nothing else. She summoned more strength and pushed Renaldo away from her, her arms spreading to the sides as she did. The two stood opposite each other breathing heavily.
"Now!" Riley shouted before rushing over to Renaldo again, slashing her two sais against his chest.
Renaldo cried in pain before blocking another attack from her.
Emily flew up to Drake's cage at the signal and broke open the lock. Drake smiled at her before the two flew down to the ground and joined the fight.
Casey looked over at Leo in confusion.
"Now what?" He cried
"Forget it!" Raph interrupted as he slammed his head against an enemy's. "Just keep fighting.
Lilly looked over to Violet and smiled. "That's the signal!" She cried, rushing back over to her sister at Kim's side.
Lilly unrolled the parchment and held it between herself and her sister. They held one hand out over Kim's body as they began chanting.
"Troubled blood with sleep's unease
Remove the cause of this disease
Sleep eternal, nevermore"
Violet and Lilly chanted. Their hands began glowing and Kim's wound started healing. Once it was healed as one unit both sisters raised their still glowing hands to Renaldo as he was trying to force Riley back.
"And shift the source of illness borne
To this poppet whom none shall mourn." They finished darkly.
As soon as they finished chanting the glow in their hands grew brighter and was hurled at Renaldo. It hit him in the chest, causing him to roar loudly. The fights around him stopped as he cried.
Riley backed away and watched satisfied as Renaldo grabbed his chest painfully. He drew his hand away and saw blood. He looked down and saw a stab wound now in his chest.
He gasped and looked up at Riley angrily. "You stabbed me!" He screamed
"I must have done." She smirked proudly.
Lilly and Violet quickly turned back to Kim and raised their hands again for the second half of the spell.
"Caducas Ex Animas Vita Ethos Anima" They chanted
They both dropped their hands and fell to their hands and knees in pure exhaustion.
Violet looked weakly over at Lilly and smiled. "Do you think it worked?"
"I don't know." Lilly replied honestly.
Renaldo screamed and conjured a large fire ball in his hands.
"Riley!" April cried when Riley didn't move.
Renaldo aimed the fire ball high in the air and was about to throw it when-
SMACK!
A huge boulder slammed into Renaldo's side and threw him across the room. He slammed against the opposite wall with a satisfying crunch before crumbling to the ground. He was having trouble breathing and he was bleeding a lot.
Everyone tore their gazes away from Renaldo to the source. Their faces grew surprised and elated when there, lying on the floor weakly was a very real, very alive Kim!
Kim was lying on her stomach, only her head and arm raised. When she saw Renaldo crumble to the ground she slowly lowered her hand.
Riley rushed over to Kim's side and took out a piece of paper from her pocket.
"Talk later!" She urged, "Conjure your sceptre!"
Kim weakly nodded and held her hand up in the air, ignoring the shakes. The sceptre appeared in the air spinning before landing in Kim's hand. Kim's arm fell with the weight but with Riley's help they two held it tall against the ground, each with one hand on it.
"Read this!" Riley cried, thrusting the piece of paper between them.
Renaldo growled and tried to stand. His eyes fell on Kim and Riley and his eyes widened.
"No!" He hollered
Riley looked to her side, knowing Lilly and Violet were there too.
"Now girls!" She commanded
"We call upon the ancient lore
To punish with the power of four,"
They began to chant. Renaldo's eyes widened further and he conjured an energy ball. Just as he released it Leo jumped in front of the girls and blocked it with his katanas. He lowered them and glared dangerously.
"Don't you dare." He growled
"Strike down this threat from both there and here," the girls continued
Riley looked over at Renaldo's face and smirked wide.
"Make him suffer, then disappear." She yelled angrily, finishing the spell with her sisters.
As the sister's finished Renaldo fell to the ground and started quivering and shaking. His skin started to sizzle as if it had acid on it and he started crying in agony.
Everyone watched as slowly each part of Renaldo melted to lava before disappearing in flames. Just before his face did the same he looked across the hall and saw Lilly and Violet reappearing. Soon, Renaldo was gone. He was gone. They had won.
Riley chocked out a shocked gasp. She looked over at Kim. She was alive – check. And beside her was Lilly and Violet. She could see them!
Tears sprung to Riley's eyes. She cried and launched herself at her three sisters, who all hugged back.
Riley pulled back and caressed Lilly and Violet's cheeks before she looked down at Kim's weak, tired and dirty face.
When they locked eyes Kim smiled, deliriously happy. "I'm covered in blood." She said weakly, "I died."
Riley nodded. "You did."
"You brought me back."
Riley nodded, her voice thick with emotion. Kim's eyes teared up more then she pulled Riley down to her.
"Thank you." She whispered in her ear.
Riley pulled back and nodded, watching Kim close her eyes and surrender to darkness.
She looked over at Violet and Lilly and smiled lazily.
"We did it." She said before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she passed out.
Before she lost conscious she saw her sisters pass out too and Drake running over to them.
