22. Night of the Taka nyūdō
Raphael hissed as Donatello held the back of his hand under running water at the sink in the kitchen. The gashes he'd received from the Suiko were no longer bleeding and after rinsing off the dried blood, Don inspected the wounds to be certain there was no foreign material in them.
Michelangelo returned from the basement with the first aid kit at that moment and handed Don a tube of antibiotic cream. After Don applied it to Raph's wounds, Mikey gave him a bandage that was large enough to cover the injured area.
When Don was finished with him, Raph walked over to the kitchen table and sat down opposite Leonardo.
"Ya' saw that thing in the river, right?" Raph asked without preamble.
"I saw it," Leo said. "We all did."
"It was a Kappa," Don said. "It was probably coming to join the Suiko."
"To get its marching orders, ya' mean," Raph said. "We need to go after that thing. We can chase it down with the shell sleds."
Leo leaned forward. "The river is huge. Where do you propose we look? It's not going to be anywhere near Roosevelt Island now, not after having seen us."
"Mikey can track it," Raph insisted. "He's got his mojo back, it'll guide us right to the thing."
"I can't track it over an entire river," Mikey said, sitting down with them. "We'd have to crisscross the water for hours before I got a hit, if I ever did."
Raph glanced at him and then back at Leo. "Then dream where it is. Give us a general location and Mike can do the rest."
"If I could control what I dream, that might be a viable option," Leo said. "I have no way of knowing if and when I'll dream, much less any chance to choose what I'll dream about."
"Then do that thing ya' did when we were after the Ao nyōbō," Raph said. "When Don helped ya' go into a trance to find the address of the house where she was hiding."
"That worked because Leo was looking through the eyes of the realtor he'd already connected with," Don said, leaning back against the kitchen island. "He wasn't dreaming, he was accessing someone else's mind."
"So what are we supposed to do?" Raph asked. "We know the Kappa is out there. If we wait, it's gonna hurt somebody. Like ya' said, Leo, it saw us. Doesn't that make it more dangerous?"
Leo appeared thoughtful and his brothers remained quiet, waiting to learn what was on his mind.
"I believe all of the escaped yokai know about us," Leo said. "Remember that Lord Enma watched our fight against the Reiki, which means that the three monsters became aware of our existence. In turn, I have no doubt that they've relayed that information to all of the yokai who were still loose at that point."
"Wouldn't they all run away then?" Mikey asked, looking around at his brothers. "I mean, if I was a yokai and knew warders were trying to stuff me back into a magic coin, I'd leave the city and go someplace where I'd be hard to find."
Don moved over to join his brothers at the table. "If they do that, it's going to be a big problem," he said. "We can't run all over the country trying to hunt them down. The other warders will have to be brought in to help."
"They will not leave the city."
All four turned to see Master Splinter coming towards them. Raph pulled a chair back so that their father could sit down.
"Did we wake you, Sensei?" Leo asked.
"No, I waited up to be sure you all returned safely," Master Splinter said. "I heard part of your conversation as I was coming in this direction. The yokai are not going to 'run away' as Michelangelo put it."
"How can you be so sure?" Don asked. "You did say that you have limited knowledge of the legends."
"It is not the legends that I need to understand, it is this city," Master Splinter said. "You all have the same information that I do. It became known to us during our fight against the Tengu Shredder."
"That any version of the Shredder is bad news?" Mikey asked.
Raph smacked him on the back of his shell. "How about ya' listen instead of talking?"
"It is the city's ley lines that keep the yokai here," Master Splinter said.
"I remember," Leo said. "They are hidden conduits of mystic energy and an uncommon number of those lines converge in New York. But the Keystones are gone, Sensei."
"The Keystones were but a way to amplify the power of the ley lines. It is the ley lines themselves, the elemental magic within them, which holds the yokai. Here within the city they are the most powerful because the sheer number of ley lines provides them with energy to draw upon," Master Splinter explained.
"That would be true for us as well, wouldn't it?" Don asked. He held out his arm. "These brands give us access to warder magic. Couldn't they be used as amplifiers the way that the Keystones were?"
"Such is very logical reasoning, Donatello," Master Splinter said. "I have meditated upon what has been happening to each of you. Your training with the Ninja Tribunal taught you to focus and amplify your chi through the amulets you were given."
"Enter us being warders and using these symbols the way we used the amulets," Raph said.
Master Splinter nodded. "Your advanced training has allowed you to unlock powers that past warders were unable to access. When you focus your energy into the symbols, you are connecting to all available magic, in other words, the ley lines."
"But we haven't been consciously doing that, Master Splinter," Mikey said. "It's just sort of been happening."
"That's true, Mikey, but the more we use the powers we've discovered, the stronger they grow," Leo said. "We've become self-aware."
"As we become more confident with the powers we've been given, then it seems like that's when a new power emerges," Don said.
"Confident he says." Mikey rolled his eyes. "Tell that to my powers. They didn't even want to kick in tonight."
"I wouldn't say we had a hell of a lot of control over anything," Raph said, looking glum.
"My sons," Master Splinter said, drawing their attention. "Tonight was a learning experience for all of you. Each of you is still suffering from what the Onryō did to you. That infection is one from which you are all still healing. It was not a physical wound, but instead a wound to the spirit, an attack upon that which is strongest in all four of you – your bond."
"She hurt us not because she had us flinging lies at one another, but because there was a semblance of truth in our words," Don said. "I do train less than the rest of you and I do feel guilty because of it."
"And I do pull some hotheaded moves that get me into trouble," Raph said. "Maybe you guys don't believe this, but I do regret them, I just have a hard time admitting it."
"I do come down on you guys too hard at times," Leo said. "I push and push when I shouldn't, mostly because I'm afraid of what will happen to you if we aren't ready for a fight. I'm not nearly as fearless as the nickname might imply."
They all looked at Mikey, who made a face. "Okay, okay. I get too excited sometimes and break stuff when I don't mean to. And I hide the game remote and try to avoid things like meditation exercises 'cause they're so boring."
"You all know these things to be true, so why allow the words to hurt you? Merely because they were said aloud by someone other than yourself, someone who, in the end, truly loves and cares about you?" Master Splinter asked. "What family does not argue and say hurtful things to one another at some point? The only thing that counts is that you did not mean to disparage each other by saying those things, they were forced out of you by the yokai. As with any argument among siblings, you must 'kiss and make up'."
Mikey brightened perceptibly. "We can do that."
Master Splinter lifted a hand. "Just not in front of me, please." He exhaled and stood up. "I am tired. I remained at Mr. Hidesato's side until a short while ago. Ms. O'Neil is with him now and will wake Mr. Jones in a few hours to take over. None of you needs to concern yourself with him until much later in the morning. Go to your shared bed and heal yourselves."
"Yes, Father," Leo and Don said at the same time.
"Sure thing, Master Splinter," Mikey called out.
"Sounds like a great plan to me, Sensei," Raph said.
Once he was out of sight, Mikey reached under the table to stroke Donatello's thigh. "I can think of a few really good ways to make up for the stuff I said to you, Donny."
Raph glanced over at Leo. "We can let those two start while you and me hit the showers together. Both of us have dried mud on us from rolling around with that yokai."
"That is an idea I can get behind," Leo said, standing up.
"You'll have to do your work one-handed, Raph, at least while you're in the shower," Don said, rising as well. "Cover that injured hand with a plastic bag so the bandage doesn't get wet."
The brothers took the stairs two-at-a-time, remaining as quiet as possible to avoid disturbing their father. When Raph and Leo returned to the bedroom after their shower, they found that their brothers had engaged in a slow intimacy in order to wait for their arrival.
After a little over an hour together, all four fell into a deep, sated sleep.
The first thing that hit Leonardo was the stench.
It was urine, feces, and body odor, along with rotted food and the underlying smell of disease. From far off he heard barking and loud music, muffled slightly by surrounding walls. Next he felt the thumping of the bass, which seemed to beat almost in time with his heart.
Leo realized he was lying down and pushed himself with difficulty into a seated position. He finally opened his eyes, squinting in the darkness because even the low watt bulb hanging over a doorway yards away caused him pain.
A wave of dizziness hit him and Leo shook his head, but that sent a shooting pain into his temple. He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, something moved in the shadows.
There was a brick wall next to him and Leo used it as a brace so that he could stand up. When he looked down at himself, he saw that he was wearing tattered and stained clothing and that his shoes had holes in them.
He knew then that not only was he dreaming, but that he was seeing everything through the eyes of a homeless man. He was feeling things too. Leo had never been drunk in his life, but he instinctively knew that the man he was riding around in was still half-drunk and partially hungover.
Movement once more drew his eyes and then the outline of a human shaped form appeared, standing directly in the center of what Leo now recognized as an alley.
The man he was in began to stumble towards the dim figure, one hand held out in a begging motion. As hard as Leo tried, he could not keep the man from moving forward.
Not at all surprisingly, the figure came towards him, stopping when it reached the area with the most visibility; nearest the light bulb.
It looked like a man, but Leo knew that it wasn't. He could sense that it was a yokai, even though by outward appearances it looked normal. Its head was bald, but it had a scruffy beard and mustache, unkempt and grown together on its face. Its eyebrows were bushy and there was scraggly thick hair on its forearms.
The creature wore a long red garment, which hung all of the way down to its feet. It was tied at the waist with an orange sash, the front open to display a hairy chest and round stomach.
When the homeless man drew near the figure, it raised its hands menacingly. It was taller than the homeless man, and when he looked up, the yokai grew taller.
As the homeless man's eyes lifted, the yokai's height increased. It seemed not to stop, a broad grin spreading across its face as it grew.
Suddenly the homeless man fell back, crying out in fear. The yokai took a step towards him and the man scrambled backwards before finally getting his feet under him.
He began to run, his head turned back to see if the creature was following. Leo tried to slow him down, but he couldn't fight the panic that was now driving the man.
The creature only took a couple of steps in his direction, but it was enough to send the homeless man catapulting out of the alley and into the street.
Directly into the path of an oncoming car.
Leo jerked to wakefulness, the sound of the yokai's laughter still ringing in his ears. He had been curled against Raphael, who woke when Leo's head hit chest.
"Ya' okay?" Raph asked, keeping his voice low so as not to wake their brothers.
"Yes." Leo scrubbed a hand over his face. "It's not the Kappa we're hunting next."
"'Course it ain't," Raph whispered in a sardonic tone. "Why would your dream send ya' after something we know we need to catch?"
"We know we need to catch them all," Leo replied, pulling one of Raph's arm over himself before yawning. "I'll tell you guys about it in the morning."
Raph took the hint, tugging Leo closer and holding him as his brother went back to sleep. It took a little longer for Raph to once again find slumber, since his mind kept gnawing at a thought that stayed just out of reach.
When he woke it was to find that both Leo and Donatello were gone. Mikey was still sleeping peacefully nearby, so Raph made no noise as he slipped out of bed.
After a quick trip to the bathroom, Raph went downstairs, tying his mask into place. His first stop was the kitchen, but the only one there was his father, who sat at the table nursing a cup of tea.
"Morning, Sensei," Raph said, grabbing the milk from the refrigerator and pouring himself a glass.
"Good morning, my son. Did you sleep well?" Master Splinter asked.
Raph nodded. "Yeah, better than I have in a couple of nights. Ya' seen Leo and Donny?"
"Leonardo is downstairs keeping an eye on Mr. Hidesato and doing some warm up exercises," Master Splinter said. "I believe Donatello is in the office."
"Right. Leo had one of those dreams last night, so I guess whenever Mikey stumbles in here, could ya' send him to the dojo? Leo usually waits until we're all together before telling us what he dreamed," Raph said.
"I will do so," Master Splinter said, returning to his perusal of the garden. Raph glanced outside too before leaving the kitchen, noting that the sun was out and the day would probably be a duplicate of the one before.
He found Don at the desk when he entered the office. The wax tool lay in front of his brother, the base of both handles open.
"Looks nice outside, maybe we can go out to bask again," Raph said. "What are ya' doing? That thing ain't broken, is it?"
"No, I'm reloading it," Don said. "I had a thought that we've captured twenty creatures but hadn't checked to see how much wax was left in the tool. It was nearly empty."
"Leo had one of those dreams last night," Raph said. "Didn't seem to freak him out too much."
Don looked up from his task. "I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. If he becomes inured to the danger, he won't approach these creatures with the right amount of caution."
"Maybe it just wasn't too scary," Raph said, watching Donny push the small wax cartridges into the tool's handle and then snap it closed.
"We'll determine that for ourselves once we learn which creature appeared in his dream," Don said, placing the tool and cartridge box into a desk drawer.
"Ya' worried he's having trouble judging that for himself?" Raph asked in a deceptively mild tone.
"I think we should all be watchful of each other," Don replied. "More watchful now that we're dealing with creatures who can affect our minds. Don't you?"
"Yeah," Raph said. "Yeah I do. I think we could be in a really bad spot if our leader gets some kind of brain worm and leads us into an ambush or something. Why'd it have to be Leo who got the damn dreams? Why couldn't it have been one of us?"
"That wouldn't have made it any less dangerous," Don said. "Any one of us could lead the rest astray. We could easily give out false information that gets us all caught in a trap."
"Sure, but Leo's the one who's always wary of traps," Raph said. "He's the one who's always ready for the unexpected and doesn't let his guard down. He can analyze a situation with one quick look and tell us if something doesn't feel right. We'd have more of a fighting chance against these creatures if Leo wasn't the one mind melding with them."
"You've been watching too many Star Trek reruns with Mikey," Don said. "But I concede your point. I knew right away that something was off with Leo after he dreamed of the Onryō and I ignored my own gut feeling. The only ones who know me almost better than I know myself are you guys. That's our greatest weapon against the yokai."
"So let's make a pact then," Raph said. "If one of us is acting screwy, the rest of us find out why before we head out to tackle something."
"I vote for that," Don said.
The sound of Mikey calling their names drew the pair out of the office. They found him standing in the foyer.
"Master Splinter said go to the dojo, but I thought I heard your voices," Mikey said. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," Raph said. "Just waiting on Donny to finish loading that wax tool thingy."
"Oh." They started downstairs. "Sounds like something we should all learn how to do," Mikey said. Raph looked at him in surprise and Mikey quirked an eye ridge at him. "What? I can be just as hands on as the rest of you guys, especially when it's something that important. I don't want to trap a yokai only to have it get away 'cause there wasn't any wax to seal it up with."
Leo was in front of the mirrored wall when they walked in, watching himself as he moved through a kata. Knowing that he was aware of their presence, his brothers went to the infirmary to check on Mr. Hidesato.
After reviewing his vital signs, Don stepped away from him and said in a low voice, "He's still resting comfortably. There's no fever and his wound seems to be healing well. I do have one concern though."
Leo entered the room then, nodding at his brothers. "Go on, Donny. You were saying?"
"If he doesn't wake soon, I'm going to have to find a way to feed him," Don said. "I could use a nasogastric tube, which comes with its own set of challenges, or perform a gastrostomy which is basically placing a tube in the stomach. I've never done that type of surgery. Heck, I've never performed either of those procedures. They both have inherent dangers which can include infection and pneumonia."
"How long do you have until you need to decide?" Leo asked.
"Day after tomorrow at the latest," Don said. "The banana bag is taking care of hydration and some nutrients, but it won't sustain him."
Taking a deep breath, Leo seemed to make up his mind with his exhale. "If he's still unconscious on Tuesday, we'll have April take him to the hospital. No matter what he asked, Mr. Hidesato can't expect you to perform miracles, Donny."
"Cops might ask questions," Raph said. "They could come snooping around here."
"If he has to be hospitalized, then we'll have to clear out of here," Leo said. "We'll take everything with us and hope that should they search the house, they won't find the war room."
"Or the secret sewer entrance," Mikey said. "That would make them ask more questions than Mr. H would like."
"It wouldn't make the Warder High Council too happy either," Don said.
"We ain't gotta worry about that until Tuesday," Raph said. He turned to Leo. "Tell us about that dream ya' had last night."
Leo began explaining the dream, telling them that he realized he was seeing what he thought was a future event through the eyes of a homeless man. When he finished, he added, "I've thought about why the dream didn't alarm me more, and it has to be because the man wasn't experiencing any sense of dread. He wasn't even that scared, not until the thing was actually towering over him."
"That's 'cause he was drunk, Leo," Raph said. "He still had a sense of self-preservation, but it took a while to kick in 'cause liquor dulled his senses. That's what it does to ya'."
"Which is why I don't drink," Leo said, staring straight at his red-banded brother.
Raph chuckled. "Somehow I knew you'd turn that into a lesson. I share one beer with Casey every so often. Hell, Don drinks wine with April."
"A single glass," Don said quickly. "Neither of us has ever been drunk. We know better."
"Hey, that dream means Leo's the only one of us to have been drunk," Mikey said with a grin. Seeing the look on his brother's face, he sobered quickly. "So, the thing you saw in the dream started growing when you looked up at him?"
Leo nodded. "He grew taller as my eyes went up. It was almost like he was trying to remain in my field of vision."
"Taka . . . nyūdō. . . ."
All four of the brothers turned quickly and then rushed to Mr. Hidesato's bedside. The man's eyes were partially open and he looked tired, but not in too much pain.
"Taka nyūdō?" Leo asked.
"Or Mikoshi . . . nyūdō," Mr. Hidesato replied, his voice raspy. "Worse."
"The Mikoshi nyūdō is more dangerous than the Taka nyūdō?" Don asked, attempting to interpret Mr. Hidesato's words.
"Yes." Mr. Hidesato took a couple of deep breaths and then grimaced.
"Don't move too much," Don said immediately. "You have stitches. No vital organs were damaged, but an abdominal muscle was punctured. It's going to hurt to take deep breaths until it's fully healed. No exertions and do nothing that might make you cough."
Mr. Hidesato acknowledged his instructions with a slight nod, and then said, "Journals."
"We'll look up both yokai and determine which one Leo saw in his dream," Don said. "We can handle this. You need to rest."
"Mr. H . . . I'm sorry," Raph said. "Damn. I didn't mean to . . . ."
"Not you," Mr. Hidesato said before Raph could finish. "No blame. Do not be . . . mad . . . at each other."
The effort to speak had the man breathing harder and Don set a hand on his shoulder. "No more talking. We're fine, honestly. We talked it all out and we know that we were influenced by the Onryō. We understand everything. Raph just wanted to make sure you knew he had no control over his actions."
"It was . . . Emiko," Mr. Hidesato said as his eyes drifted shut.
Mikey opened his mouth to ask a question but Don signaled that he shouldn't speak. With a wave of his hand, Don chased his brothers out of the infirmary and then joined them a few minutes later.
"He's sleeping again," Don said. "We need to let him. The journals will tell us which of these creatures you saw in your dream, Leo."
"He woke up, does that mean he's out of danger?" Raph asked.
"Infection could still set in, but his waking up is a good sign," Don said. "I can start him on a liquid diet so he won't have to strain to pass anything."
"Way more info than I needed," Raph said, making a face.
"Guys?" April called out from the staircase. "Master Splinter said you were down here. He's gone out into the garden and wants you all to join him. I'll watch Mr. Hidesato."
The brothers walked towards her as she descended the stairs. "He woke up for a few minutes," Don said. "We talked a little and then I urged him to go back to sleep. If he wakes again, don't let him be active."
"I won't," April said. "I'll be as quiet as possible so his rest isn't disturbed."
None of them saw Casey on their way out to the garden through the kitchen. They assumed he was still sleeping as he'd had the early morning shift watching over Mr. Hidesato.
Master Splinter was waiting for them in the open area they sometimes used for practice sessions. After receiving a report on the positive change in Mr. Hidesato's condition, he set his sons to work.
Two hours later they were all both tired and revitalized. Other than the lack of four walls, their practice had a comfortable familiarity to it, made more so by the fact that Master Splinter had been leading them.
Mikey and Raph ran inside to get blankets and a picnic brunch so that the small family could continue to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Master Splinter chose to sit under a shade tree, as the sun tended to warm his fur beyond what was comfortable. His sons sprawled out in direct sunlight, growing drowsy after consuming sandwiches and fruit.
"We still need to do some research," Leo said from his prone position. "Another hour out here and then we go inside and get back to work."
"Now ya' sound like you're back to normal," Raph said, looking up at the sky to follow the path of a soaring bird.
"You know what else we should do? We should see if we can brand April," Mikey said.
His brothers looked at him, their expressions registering surprise. "Where did that come from?" Don asked.
"I was thinking that now Mr. Hidesato's awake, he can tell April what to say to the council," Mikey said. "That made me think that I needed to paint the symbols on her arm. Then I thought 'how much practice do you even need with two different Masters?' because maybe she's spent enough time with Mr. H and the brand will work. If the brand works, then we could give her amulet to Sensei and only have to make one more for Angel. And then . . . ."
Raph reached over to put a hand over his brother's mouth. "Enough. We get the general idea, motor mouth."
"It isn't difficult to make the amulets," Don said. He looked around at his brothers. "You guys do remember what we had to do to power them, don't you?"
Leo rolled over and sat up. "You're worried we won't be able infuse the new amulets with our magic the way we did with the first two. The symbols themselves are supposed to offer protection to the wearer. What we did to the other amulets wasn't planned."
"I know, but I'd still feel more confident in the level of protection they offered if we could make them more potent," Don said.
"Spoken like a true scientist," Raph said teasingly.
"We should meditate together," Leo said. "Last night was amazing, but reconnecting physically is one thing, doing so spiritually is what strengthens our bond."
"I could not agree more," Master Splinter said.
"No more lying around then," Leo said as he stood up.
"Hey, what about the hour you promised?" Mikey asked.
"That was before I realized the amount of work we have in front of us today," Leo told him.
"Yep, totally back to normal," Raph muttered as he got to his feet and pulled Don up with him.
"Come with me, Mikey," Don said. "I'll teach you how to work with silver clay. I think you'll enjoy it."
Mikey bounced up, an enthusiastic expression on his face. "Now that sounds like fun. Lead the way."
They gathered the things they'd brought outdoors and went back into the house. As Don and Mikey went into the war room to get the silver clay, Leo stopped Raph in the foyer.
"One of us needs to research the journals for the yokai that appeared in my dream, and one of us should spell April so she doesn't spend her entire day watching over Mr. Hidesato," Leo said. "Your choice."
"Reading barely legible kanji is one of my favorite things ever," Raph said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "And so is sitting on my ass watching a guy sleep. Flip a coin."
"I will sit with Mr. Hidesato," Master Splinter said as he joined them. "You must both perform the tasks of a Warder. That is what Mr. Hidesato would want you to do."
"Thank you, Sensei," Leo said.
Don and Mikey came out of the office then and walked downstairs with their father. Before they were out of sight, Don stopped to say, "I checked and we haven't scanned anything about either yokai Mr. H mentioned. You'll have to find them the hard way."
"Of course we will," Raph said with a groan.
They had been skimming through journals for an hour when Casey entered the office. Seeing the piles of journals surrounding the pair of turtles, he let out a whistle.
"Damn, is that the stack of stuff ya' gotta read through?" Casey asked.
Raph tilted his head first to one side and then the next, popping the kinks out of his neck. "Been through half, still got half to go through. See those shelves? That's what we still gotta read after these."
Casey hopped up on the desk and grabbed a journal, flipping through the pages. "You're trying to find the creature Leo dreamed about, right? I was downstairs with April and heard your bro's talking about it. Ain't there some kind of card catalogue for this stuff?"
"This ain't a library, Casey," Raph said, tossing aside the journal he held and selecting another. "Don's trying to computerize these things to make searching easier, but we haven't had much time to work on that."
"How hard is it?" Casey asked. "I mean, if there ain't too many complicated gizmos involved, maybe I could help."
Leo and Raph glanced at each other. "Actually, the scanning process is easy," Leo said. "You just have to follow Don's system for logging what has been and what hasn't been scanned."
"Okay, so when he gets back up here, he can show me," Casey said. "Sitting around with my thumb up my ass while you guys do all the work don't feel right. I let 'em out, least I can do is help make it easier to put 'em back in."
"Ya' got the job," Raph said. "Speaking of, ya' ain't gonna get into trouble for missing work, are ya'?"
Casey shrugged. "Nah. Ernie lets me set my own hours. I pretty much work on custom jobs, so I make as much in ten hours as most guys do in forty. Ninjas ain't the only ones who can focus on their work."
"Found one," Leo sang out. "This journal was written by someone in the Fujiwara clan, an offshoot of the Hidesato clan. The writer references a Fujiwara no Chikuni as having captured a Mikoshi nyūdō, which is more dangerous than the Taka nyūdō he himself caught."
"Hold on," Raph said, leaning forward to push aside some of the journals lying on the coffee table. "I thought I saw . . . yep, here it is. Got the name Fujiwara no Chikuni stamped on the side."
He flipped through the journal while Leo read aloud the description of the encounter with and capture of the Taka nyūdō. Raph was ready with the other entry when Leo finished and took up reading the referenced entry.
"They sound just the same," Raph said when he finished reading. "How do we know which is which?"
"The one in my dream seemed amused at frightening the homeless man," Leo said thoughtfully. "It didn't chase him or even try to attack. The man was injured because he ran out in front of a car."
"Did ya' see any claws or wild looking hair?" Raph asked.
"Nothing like that," Leo answered. "It didn't seem fierce at all. That makes me think it was the Taka nyūdō."
Don and Mikey entered in time to hear Leo's pronouncement.
"You guys figured out which yokai we need to catch tonight?" Mikey asked, propping his hips against the couch arm. "How sure are you?"
"Maybe ninety-percent," Leo said, leaving the journal open as he placed it atop the stack on the table. "We should take both coins just to be sure."
"Is there a difference in how they're caught?" Don asked.
"How what is caught?" April asked as she walked into the office. Her hair was damp, indicating she'd just come out of the shower.
"The yokai we need to find," Don said. "Now that we have an idea of which yokai it is, we need to try to pinpoint its location. What do you remember from the surroundings, Leo?"
In as much detail as possible, Leo described the alley, including the sights, sounds, and smells. "I have to include a caveat here due to the man's state of inebriation; I don't know how accurate any of this is."
"Any chance you could, I don't know, jump into him before he gets wasted and take a look at a street sign or something?" Mikey asked.
Leo looked at Don. "It worked before, with your guidance. Want to try again?"
"Why not?" Don showed them the amulets he and Mikey had made. "We have to try and infuse these with some of our magic energy, so we can kill two birds with one meditation session."
"If this doesn't work, I don't know how the hell we're gonna find an alley with a drunk guy sleeping in it before that yokai gets him tonight," Raph said gruffly. "That describes over half the alleys in the city."
Leo tapped the open pages of the journal he'd read. "According to this, capturing the Taka nyūdō requires that first you do not allow it to grow. You must show no fear and refuse to raise your head. It will be determined to meet your eyes and will shrink as it attempts to do so. Keep lowering your eyes a little at a time until it is only a foot tall, then place the trap coin atop its bald head."
"So to fight this thing, you have to avoid looking directly at it?" Don said. "That should be interesting."
"Catching a Mikoshi nyūdō ain't much different," Raph said. "Except if we're wrong and it's one of those in that alley, it's gonna be trying to tear out our throats while we're not looking at it."
"Then we'll have to be on our toes," Leo said. "Above all else, we can't give it an opportunity to grow."
"That means we gotta get to the homeless guy before he wakes up and sees the thing," Mikey said. "'Cause if he looks up . . . ."
"We'll never get the coin on top of its head," Leo said, finishing the sentence for him. "We'll have to look up to see where the top of its head is, and that will make it grow."
"Couldn't you get on top of a building and jump down on it?" Casey asked.
"We can't depend on that strategy," Leo said. "There might not be a tall enough building anywhere near the alley where the thing has set up shop."
"My tech pack is still busted, but you guys could use yours," Mikey said.
Leo shook his head. "Not without you."
"There has to be some foot traffic in the area at night," Don said. "Not just a single homeless man, but others, or else why would the Taka nyūdō have chosen to inhabit the place? You heard music in your dream, right Leo?"
Raph snapped his fingers. "And felt the thumping of a bass. That alley has to be close to some nightclub. Ya' smelled food too."
"Rotted food," Leo said. "The way a dumpster smells when someone has tossed food scraps into it."
"So probably a restaurant for the smell to be that strong," Raph said. "There has to be a place to buy booze too."
"Not the restaurant," Casey said. He saw their puzzled looks and said, "The restaurant wouldn't sell booze to the homeless guy, they wouldn't even let him in the door. Has to be a liquor store nearby. Dark alley, liquor store, food in a dumpster. That's a great place for a homeless guy to call home."
"If Leo can get a look at a street sign or store name or something, we'll know where we're going tonight," Raph said. He stood up. "Let's get on that."
"Wait," Mikey said, jumping up and heading for the war room. "I want to see if the warder brand will work on April."
He came out a couple of minutes later with the suitcase that contained the branding iron. Setting the suitcase on the desk, Mikey opened it and took out the iron and then looked at Leo.
"Uh, maybe you should be the one to try branding her," Mikey said. "You've had the highest number of Masters."
Leo rose and crossed over to his brother, taking the branding iron from his hand. April joined him at the desk. "What do I do?"
"Extend your arm, bracing the back of your hand against the desk," Leo said. "It will burn for just a second or two, so try not to move."
"Okay," April said, doing as she was told. She took a couple of deep breaths and then nodded at Leo.
Very carefully, he positioned the brand above her forearm and then pressed it against her skin.
The symbols did not glow red and the metal remained cold. Leo counted to five before pulling the branding iron away. April's arm remained pristine.
"Guess she hasn't trained long enough with Mr. H," Mikey said.
"It was worth a try," April said. "I'm going to make a run to the grocer's for supplies. Does anyone need anything that wasn't noted on the whiteboard in the kitchen?"
She received negatives all the way around and then left. Leo turned to Casey. "Master Splinter is with Mr. Hidesato. Could you sit with the man and send Sensei up to us?"
"Sure thing." Casey loped out of the office while Mikey returned the branding iron to its case and took it back into the war room.
"Ya' gonna ask Master Splinter to meditate with us?" Raph asked.
"He can help us reach a deeper state," Leo said. "We might need that extra boost."
Once Master Splinter was with them, the family went into the front room. Lighting candles, they turned out the overhead lights and adjusted the curtains so that the only illumination in the room came from the few tiny flames.
"We usually sit in a circle close to one another," Leo told his father.
"Then do so," Master Splinter said. "I will remain to one side, but my energy will be with you."
They sat cross-legged on the rug and Donatello placed the amulets between them. "I want to try to take Leo into the homeless man first. Focus on Leo as you meditate, give him the strength to move his mind into someone else."
Don's eyes remained opened and focused on Leo while everyone else closed there's. He allowed a moment to pass, watching as his brothers gradually relaxed and their breathing slowed.
"Focus on the sound of my voice, Leo," Don said, speaking softly and evenly. "There is nothing but my voice, no other sound, no other thought. Your body is but a vessel; allow your mind to slip away from it and be directed by my voice."
Carefully watching his brother's face, Don continued talking, his voice modulated and monotone. When he saw that every muscle in Leo's body was completely relaxed, he deemed it time to move him forward.
"You are topside, it is where you live," Don said. He remembered how Leo had describe scent as the first of his senses to awaken. "You smell stale beer and old food. Can you smell those things?"
Leo's beak wrinkled and he nodded. The symbols on his arm began to glow.
"You want a breath of fresher air. Can you leave the alley for a moment?" Don asked.
His brother's leg twitched and then Leo's head lifted slightly, his nostrils flaring.
"Good, very good," Don said. "You are wondering if perhaps you can see the stars tonight. It is a clear night. Look around for a safe place to stand and see the stars."
Leo's head moved just a little from side to side and then up. A small smile lifted his lips.
"You see the stars. They are so pretty. You saw a street sign too, while searching for the stars," Don said.
Leo frowned, shaking his head in the negative.
"Then look for one now," Don said. "A street sign, or a name on a storefront. You want to remember where you saw the stars."
The frown disappeared and the smile returned to Leo's face. "Essex Street," he murmured. "Rivington. Checks cashed. Deli grocery, pizza. Tired."
"Lie back down and sleep now," Don instructed. "Sleep."
Leo's face relaxed completely again, but his warder symbols continued to glow. Don glanced around and saw that both Raph and Mikey's symbols had begun to glow as well, all of them very faintly.
His own eyes slid shut and he breathed deeply, releasing the worries of the moment. Soon the symbols on his inner arm began to glow as well.
Off to the side, Master Splinter observed his sons. His spirit flowed around them as he watched, comforting first one, and then another whenever he felt their confidence wane.
The phenomenon of the symbols fascinated him. Master Splinter could feel the force within his sons, something more powerful than he thought even they realized. When Donatello had joined them the energy level had spiked, as though a circuit had been completed.
They remained as they were for easily three quarters of an hour. Master Splinter picked up the faint sound of April's return, pleased at how quietly she moved. There was no indication that his sons had heard anything.
With no outward signal from any of them, the turtles suddenly extended their hands to one another. Their eyes were still closed as one by one they made the physical connection to the brothers next to them, completing and closing their circle.
As soon as they were all holding hands, their warder symbols burst into brilliance, the glow covering their entire bodies. At exactly the same moment, four beams of pure energy shot from their symbols and struck the amulets.
There was an intense flash of light, so powerful that the entire room whited out. Though Master Splinter immediately closed his eyes, the whiteness still covered his vision like the popping of a hundred camera flash bulbs.
It took a couple of minutes for him to blink away the blindness. When his eyes were working again, he saw that his sons had come out of their meditative states. All four of them were staring at the amulets, which were shining with energy.
"We did it," Mikey said in an awestruck voice.
"Of course we did it," Raph said. "Never had any doubt."
"We've got a good idea as to where the Taka nyūdō is too," Don said. "How do you feel, Leo? Are you disoriented, like the last time we did this?"
"Some, though not as much," Leo said. He smacked his lips a couple of times and then grimaced. "My mouth tastes awful."
Raph burst into laughter. The rest of his family stared at him until he calmed down enough to speak.
"That's what ya' get for jumping into a guy who spends most of his time drunk," Raph said, still chuckling. "Bet you're thirsty as hell."
Leo frowned. "Well, as a matter of fact . . . ."
This time Mikey and Don joined in the laughter and even Master Splinter had a smile on his face. Raph stood up and offered a hand to Leo, who grasped it and was pulled to his feet. Don picked up the amulets before standing and Mikey bounced up as well.
They waited as their father rose also. "I am glad to have had this opportunity to observe the four of you 'in action' as it were," Master Splinter said. "Your combined magic is quite the phenomenon to behold. I could feel it resonating within the mystical realms."
"That means the Council felt it too," Mikey said, looking worried. "They'll want to talk to Mr. H."
"He's not going to be getting up and moving around anytime soon," Don said. "You'll have to paint those symbols on April's arm. Mr. H should be strong enough tomorrow to guide her through a conference with them."
"Could you sense anything else, Master Splinter?" Leo asked.
"Yes," Master Splinter answered. "I was aware of a presence around you, something that seemed to be observing your spirits. It seemed neither malevolent nor benevolent, merely . . . curious. The energy it exuded was beyond measure."
"Think that was Enma?" Raph asked, glancing at Leo.
"Yes I do," Leo said. "He may be a mere observer, but I don't like the fact that his link to the monster trio feeds them with information I'd rather they not have. It's like giving your enemy a copy of your playbook. We need to find a way to prevent Lord Enma from spying."
"Maybe Mr. H knows a way," Mikey said. "We can start by asking him."
"Tomorrow," Raph said firmly, wrapping an arm around Leo's shoulders. "First we need to hydrate our brother, the lush. Hangovers are a bitch, aren't they?"
Don picked up on his good-natured teasing. "We'll need to pump some potassium, carbs, and electrolytes into him."
"A hearty dinner will help," Mikey said. "I'll see what April brought from the store."
"You guys are having altogether too much fun with this," Leo said as Raph led him out of the room and into the kitchen.
April was already there preparing dinner and Mikey went to help her. While Raph sat at the table with Leo, Don got him a drink and a light snack to help with the feeling of being hungover.
While Leo ate and drank, Don used his shell cell to research the streets that his brother had mentioned. Using satellite views of the area, he zeroed in on the most likely block, finding a check cashing place, a grocer on one corner, and a pizza restaurant all in close proximity.
Raph suddenly snapped his fingers, startling his family. "Now I know what was digging at my brain last night."
"Last night? When?" Leo asked.
"After ya' went back to sleep," Raph said. "Something was bugging me but I couldn't catch hold of it. I'll bet ya' anything it's the Taka nyūdō we're facing tonight."
"What would lead you to believe that?" Don asked.
"Because lately it seems like we're going from a hard capture, to an easy one, and then to a hard one again," Raph said. "Look, taking down the Reiki was a real fight and if Mr. H hadn't been with us, we might not have managed it. After that was the Futakuchi onna. We could have taken that one out with our eyes closed. And then bam! We get hit with the Onryō, who almost took us apart."
"I wouldn't call the Suiko an easy capture, Raph," Don said.
"That was just a matter of outmaneuvering the sucker," Raph said. "It wasn't any harder than taking on Shredder's Elite Guards. It's almost like we're being tested, especially after what the Onryō did to us. It's like something wants to see what we're capable of or what we can come back from, or maybe both. That something is choosing which creature Leo dreams about so it can make us hunt certain ones at certain times."
"As long as we're catching them, why should we care?" Mikey asked, pausing as he rolled out dough.
"I don't like it," Raph said. "I don't like being led around by the nose. It should be us in control."
Don appeared thoughtful. "I have to agree with you, but what can we do about it?"
"For one we can start finding our own clues to where the creatures are and not depend so much on whatever Leo dreams about," Raph said.
"If it is this Lord Enma who is influencing your hunts, then preventing him access to you is still the most logical approach," Master Splinter said.
Leo tapped the table with one finger, drawing his family's attention. "Raph, your concern that our captures are being guided is a very valid one. I have another as well. I think we should be worried about what it might be leading us away from."
They all grew silent as that concept sank in. It was April who broke the silence. "I'm hearing a lot of what ifs flying around, a lot of theorizing, a lot of overall concern. It's good to ask those questions, but maybe we shouldn't let them overwhelm the very basic fact that x number of creatures escaped from that coffer and they need to be caught. However that is accomplished is up to us, all of us together. You've spent your whole lives being cautious, so it isn't as though you're going to stop now. If something is watching you, remember that you have an ace up your sleeve. You've got Master Splinter, Casey, and me. That entity, or whatever it is, doesn't know about us."
"April is right," Don said. "Maybe they can't actually catch creatures, but their help has been instrumental in several captures. Without any magic of their own, they are basically invisible to Lord Enma."
A corner of Raph's mouth lifted. "Yeah, I like that. Can't control what ya' don't know about."
"Our magic can keep our friends safe," Leo said. "We find a way to block ourselves from Enma's scrutiny, and we utilize alternate methods for locating yokai. If Enma is trying to control the order of our hunts, the way Raph theorized, then we'll change up the sequence of the way we do things."
"We'll find creatures the old fashioned way," Don said. "Then whatever Leo dreams, unless it is more dangerous than what we find on our own, we go after the ones our research pinpoints."
"Break the cycle," Mikey said. "That's exactly the kind of plan Silver Sentry would get behind."
Raph rolled his eyes. "It's all comic books, all the time with you, ain't it, Mikey?"
"Don't knock what you can learn from a comic book my brother," Mikey said, waving a flour covered hand at him.
April washed her hands and then approached the table, taking a cord from her pocket. "I bought this lanyard while I was out shopping. I thought it would work well for Master Splinter's amulet."
The lanyard was made of round woven nylon, its grayish color blending well with Master Splinter's fur. He placed it around his neck and Don attached one of the newly minted silver amulets to it.
"Thank you, April," Master Splinter said. "This is quite comfortable."
"I can deliver the other amulet to Angel tomorrow," April said. "I'll get her a chain or lanyard if she doesn't already have something."
Don pushed back his chair and stood up. "I'm going downstairs to check on Mr. H. Casey could probably use a break."
"Send him to the media room," Raph said. "We can catch some of the game. What time are we heading out?"
"Around eleven," Leo said. "In my dream I could hear music that was too loud to be coming from a home or car. It's Sunday, so businesses won't be open much later than that. We need to get there before the homeless man runs out in front of a car."
"And before he makes that yokai grow," Mikey said, helping April slide several large pot pies into the oven.
When it was time to leave, Raph placed both the trap coins for the Taka nyūdō and the Mikoshi nyūdō into his belt. Don grabbed the wax tool and got the keys to April's van from her.
During the ride the brothers talked about mundane matters, current events, and sports. Almost anything except their current mission. They were already keyed up, as they usually were when going into any sort of fight, and talking helped relieve the tension.
Until they came upon a traffic jam.
"Fils de pute," Don muttered under his breath.
"Don's cursing," Mikey said. "This must be bad."
"A forty minute drive is about to take an hour," Don said, turning the van around in order to take an alternate route. "I'd speed, but I don't think any of us wants to be pulled over."
"There's no faster way to get there?" Leo asked.
"We were taking the fastest way," Don said. "I always take the fastest way."
"Sorry," Leo said. "I know you're doing your best. I'm beginning to feel . . . tense."
"Are ya' sensing something? Is the homeless guy waking up?" Raph asked.
"I don't know, I just have a sort of prickling sensation running through me," Leo said.
"Even a drunk guy can sense danger," Raph said. "It's all about self-preservation."
"I'll kick it up to five miles over," Don said. "I can't chance any more than that or a police officer will notice us."
All talking stopped as Don maneuvered the van through the city, taking whatever shortcuts he could find and keeping his speed just over the limit. Tension in the van grew, driven by the tight set of Leonardo's shoulders and his stiff lipped silence.
They finally reached Essex Street, but were still a mile from the block they needed when Leo suddenly hissed and jerked forward in his seat.
"What's wrong?" Don asked. "Leo?"
"He's waking up," Leo said. "I can't . . . stop him."
"Dammit!" Raph exclaimed. "Speed up, Donny!"
"I can't," Don said. "There are still too many pedestrians."
"I've got this!" Mikey yelled and leaped out of the back of the van while it was still moving.
He was gone from sight before his brothers could even turn in their seats.
"He's got the right idea," Raph said. "We're faster on foot. Park this heap."
Finding a parking spot was easier said than done, but Don finally found a place that he could squeeze the van into. They had to wait for a couple of people to walk by, but once they were gone, the turtles exited the van and took to the rooftops.
When they reached the cross street of Rivington, they saw the sign 'Deli Grocery' above a corner shop and knew they were in the right place. Jumping down to the sidewalk, they proceeded with caution towards the center of the block, sticking to shadows so as not to be seen.
The sound of music reached their ears, and they could feel the pounding sensation of a bass through their feet. Just as they passed a pizza parlor, a car came down the street and the brothers ducked into an entryway. When it was past them, they stepped out again.
A loud scream sent them running. Up ahead, a man dressed in rags dashed out of the alley and into the path of the car.
Suddenly there was a flash of orange and Michelangelo grabbed the man, yanking him out of the street just as the car sped by. Its horn was still sounding as it turned a corner and vanished.
"Dudes!" Mikey called out upon seeing his brothers. "That was a close one."
The man looked around at them, eyes wide. "You . . . you're . . . . uhh."
His eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped against Mikey.
"Guess we're just too pretty for him," Mikey said.
"Did he see the Taka nyūdō?" Leo asked.
"Nah, just me. He was just starting to sit up and was looking farther down the alley when I showed up. I ran over to him and yelled to get his attention. Kinda surprised me with how fast he popped up and started running," Mikey said.
They heard laughter from down the block and Leo said, "Get him out of sight."
With a nod, Mikey carried the man down a nearby set of steps, leaving him curled against a wall. He waited to rejoin his brothers until the voices of pedestrians faded away.
Standing at the mouth of the alley, the turtles peered into the darkness.
"Ya' sure he saw something?" Raph asked.
"Yeah, he saw something," Mikey said. He chuckled nervously. "To be honest, I'm not sure I can keep from looking up."
Raph stared at him. "You're just now telling us this? For cripes sakes, stay back here and make sure no one comes into the alley."
"But . . . ." Mikey began.
Don placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll yell if we need you. Someone really should keep people away."
They left him and proceeded down the alley, walking towards the single light that cast its meager illumination.
"Uh!"
Leo abruptly doubled over, his arms clutching at his stomach. Don caught hold of him as he stumbled sideways.
"What's wrong?" Don asked.
"Sick," Leo said in a choked voice. "Ah . . . oh . . . nauseous."
"Dammit," Raph said, looking back at them. "He's connected to the drunk again. Can't ya' snap him out of it?"
"No I can't snap him out of it," Don said sharply. "We don't even know how his power works."
"Clearly it's not working," Raph snapped. "Stay with him. I've got the coins. I'll tackle this one on my own. Just both of ya' keep your heads down."
Raph spun on his heel and started walking again. He could hear Leo's low groans of pain and felt bad for him, thinking to himself, "Least he ain't puking. Yet."
Movement just beyond the fringe of light caught his attention. Quickly lowering his gaze, Raph walked forward and began to hear the light 'slap, slap' of sandals on pavement.
He hadn't gone much farther when someone wearing red stepped into view. Raph found that he was looking at the creature's hairy chest, its bulbous stomach protruding over the orange sash that held its garment closed.
There was grizzled, black hair covering its thick arms, and the hands ended in fingers tipped with sharp, pointed talons.
It took willpower not to look up when the yokai lifted those hands.
"Traveler, why pass you this way?"
Raph hadn't expected it to speak and very nearly raised his eyes. He caught himself at the last second, refusing to answer as he continued forward.
The Taka nyūdō grunted and took a step towards him. When he did so, Raph lowered his gaze to the knot on its sash.
"Are you fearful?" the creature asked in a deep bass. "Can you not meet my eyes? What lowly creature are you, who cowers in an alley?"
In spite of the fact that he knew the yokai was taunting him, Raph would feel his anger rising.
Once again it spoke. "You tremble in terror. My time is wasted on the likes of you. What a pitiful thing you are. I will tear your arms from their sockets and suck the marrow from your bones."
Raph's jaw worked with the effort to keep his mouth closed. He would not take the bait, though he could feel his temper heating his skin. "Don't listen, don't listen," he muttered from between clenched teeth.
His eyes traveled downwards again to where he thought the creature's knees were located. He had not stopped moving and was within a couple of yards of the yokai.
"Do not think to pass, coward."
If there was anything that Raph hated to be called, that was it. One thing kept him from snapping; those last barbs weren't in the same deep tone of voice as before, the vocal range had gone noticeably higher.
When he grasped what that meant, Raph grinned. Then he looked down again, right at its feet.
Raph was now within striking distance of the yokai. His eyes were starting to sting because he was afraid to blink and he narrowed them.
The creature stopped speaking and was no longer approaching the turtle. As Raph waited, he saw movement in his upper peripheral vision and realized that the yokai was shrinking.
Knowing it was time to get the trap coin out, Raph reached into his belt and then it hit him - he couldn't remember which coin was which.
"Shit," Raph hissed. He had no idea what would happen if he looked away from the Taka nyūdō, though he felt certain his eyes were the only thing keeping it pinned. He had to make a choice because it was shrinking fast.
"Here's goes nothing," he muttered, and selected a coin.
Hoping against hope that he'd grabbed the correct one, Raph reached out and slapped the coin down on top of the creature's bald head at the very second it came into view.
For a moment, nothing happened. The yokai tilted its head back to glare at him, but the coin did not slide off.
Then its head elongated and was sucked into the coin, followed swiftly by it shoulders, torso, legs, and finally its feet.
"Donny! Get your ass over here!" Raph yelled as he caught the coin before it hit the ground.
His brother came running, the wax tool in his hand. He snagged the coin out of the air when Raph tossed it to him and quickly sealed the yokai into it.
"I got the right one," Raph said, almost in disbelief, and then started laughing.
Don stared at him for a second, and then said, "I'm not going to ask."
They started back together. Leo was huddled against the wall, his skin tone off, but he looked up at them with an expression of relief.
"You got it?" Leo asked.
"Yeah, no sweat," Raph said with a grin. He helped Leo to his feet. "Ya' still connected to the drunk?"
"No," Leo answered, though he held onto Raph's arm. "As soon as you caught the yokai, the connection snapped. I just still don't feel very well."
"Alcohol poisoning, even second hand, takes a while to wear off," Don said. "We should take the homeless man to the hospital. You guys stay here while I get the van."
While he was gone, Raph helped Leo to the mouth of the alley and then made him sit down. When Don returned, he and Mikey loaded the man into the back of the van while Raph hustled Leo inside.
Once they were on their way, Leo mustered the energy to say, "I never want to go through that again. Why do people drink?"
Raph chuckled. "I'll explain it to ya' sometime when ya' ain't hungover.
Leo grimaced and began rubbing his head. "Yeah. When will that be exactly?"
All three of his brothers began to laugh.
End Taka nyūdō
