Chapter 173: The One True Queen
After the incident with Tim Tucker, the Turtles had elected to enjoy some time to themselves. Each had different things they wanted to see and do while in England, so splitting up was their best bet. Donnie had run off to check out the various museums. Mikey had gone off in search of anything Doctor Who related. Karai, Kagome, and Hisako had elected to go have a girl's day, booking time at a famous spa. Leo decided to take a tour of the city. Splinter and Kasumi elected to find a nice tea shop and just enjoy themselves. Raph elected to just walk around and take in the sights. Finally, Vee decided to go looking around the various bookshops for some new pieces of literature. Wearing a trench coat for appearance's sake, she kept her hands in her pockets as she entered "Goodfellow Bookstore". After exchanging a greeting with the shopkeeper, she went about the shop, looking around before picking up a copy of King Arthur, smiling as she flipped through it.
"Still my favorite book, even after all these years."
"Ah, the Arthurian legend," an elderly voice remarked.
Vee turned to see the shopkeeper, an old man with a thick white beard.
"Yeah," she confirmed. "I've always had an eye for the classics."
"Yes, I can see that, Venus de Milo," the man remarked. "I can also see a spark of something more in your eyes."
Almost immediately, Vee was on edge, a hand unconsciously going to her kama.
"How do you know my name?"
"I know many things," the old man said. "Including that you are a protector, and one who is more than what the eye can see."
Vee looked at the book in her hands, then at the old man as she put two and two together.
"Okay, considering what I've been through and everything I've seen, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say King Arthur was real. So I'm guessing you're Merlin."
The old man chuckled lightly. "Quick on the uptake. Good."
He snapped his fingers and the door lock clicked, the sign shifting from "open" to "closed." Vee shrugged, largely unshaken.
"You can thank experience. I've had an interesting life."
"Indeed. How would you like to make it more interesting?"
"Since you locked me in, do I have much of a choice?"
"Of course you do. The door was merely so we wouldn't be disturbed."
"Thanks for the clarification." Vee debated with herself for a moment before shrugging. "Well... I've got nothing better to do."
"Excellent," Merlin said with a smile. "Then please follow me."
He began walking to the back room of the store, Vee following behind him. Stepping through the back door, they entered into a true wizard's lab, complete with dried herbs, rows and rows of crystals and potion vials, and a massive sigil on the ground. Merlin untied his braid, letting his hair come loose as his clothing shifted, becoming a long cloak of shimmering green colors. Vee's eyes lit up as she looked around his lab.
"I am so glad I decided to come to this bookshop in particular," she declared.
Merlin smirked. "You haven't seen anything yet."
He took up a long staff with a crystal ball on the top, aiming it at the sigil. The sigil lit up, and the room was bathed in light as he began reciting a spell.
"Vocate venti fortunate, ex rege Oberonis, pars velum inter mundos, ad orae Avalonis."
When the light faded, Vee found herself and Merlin standing in an open field.
"If my Latin's right, you just took me to Avalon," she mused.
"Indeed," Merlin confirmed. "The homeland of the Fae race. And a region of the realm of Nocturna."
"Whoa whoa whoa…" Vee held up a hand. "I'm in Nocturna?"
"Ah yes, you've been here before."
"Yeah. Wish I'd known Avalon was part of it the last time I was here."
"Avalon is its own part of Nocturna. It is rare we interact with the city you saw. The last time we did, Morgan Le Fey was born."
Vee winced at that thought.
"Damn…"
"I have nothing against them myself, but our world must remain balanced. Thus, agents of light remain in Avalon, and beings of the night remain in Nocturne."
"Makes sense," Vee mused before cutting to the chase. "So... why exactly did you bring me here?"
"Because something is threatening that balance. A force of pure evil rising on the mortal plane."
"There's a lot of people my family considers pure evil." Vee began, listing them off on her fingers. "Shredder, Krang, HAVOC. You're gonna have to be more specific."
"A demon, one who has plagued the world before. One who was beaten back at every turn, but continues to haunt the mortal realm. Now, he threatens to return once more, and we must prepare."
"He?" Vee asked. "You mean it's not Null?"
"No, but you're not far off. Null serves this beast." He began walking. "Come. Queen Titania can explain better than I."
Vee nodded, following him. They came to a massive oak tree that stretched far beyond the clouds. Branches extended into large homes woven into the foliage, and Fae of all sizes and shapes were everywhere.
"Wow…" Vee let out in awe.
"Quite the sight, isn't it?"
"It definitely is."
Several small fairies flitted in and around her, whispering amongst themselves. Vee smirked at them playfully.
"Never seen a mutant turtle before?"
One fairy with bright red hair flew up so they were face to face.
"Are you the turtle girl?" she questioned. "The one who tried to save the werewolves?"
"Yeah, that's me," Vee confirmed with a scowl. "Here's hoping Lilith gave that jackass Chiton what he deserved."
"She beat him senseless," the red headed fairy confirmed. "Last we heard, he had to be sent to a psychiatric hospital to get treatment for severe lupophobia (1)."
Vee smirked. "That's good. Better than he deserves, honestly."
"I hate to interrupt, but the Queen is expecting us," Merlin cut in.
The fairies instantly zipped off, Merlin turning to Vee. "Now then, shall we?"
"After you," said Vee.
Merlin led her through a massive doorway and into the heart of the tree. Sitting on a throne woven from vines and branches sat an ethereal woman with gossamer green wings and long golden hair with wildflowers within it. She was wearing a flowing dress that seemed to be every color of the rainbow at once.
"Good afternoon, my queen," Merlin greeted.
"Merlin, welcome back," the woman, clearly Queen Titania, said. "I see your search has borne fruit at last."
Vee was awestruck at the sight of her before bowing.
"Queen Titania, greetings. I'm Venus de Milo. Most people call me Vee."
"Welcome to my Kingdom, Venus de Milo. I take it Merlin has informed you of our plight."
"A demon rising to destroy everything, right?"
"Indeed. The balance of light and dark is threatened, and thus, a champion must be found. You have proven yourself a worthy ally, as well as a pure soul. Thus, a great mission has been entrusted to you."
"Me?" Vee questioned, confused. "I mean, I am a hero back in my world, but-"
"Venus," Titania cut in gently, "time is not on our side. You must help us to locate the Sleeping King."
Vee got it quickly, gaping.
"You want me to find King Arthur. But... according to the legends, isn't he supposed to be resting here in Avalon?"
"No. He is on the mortal plane, living a life much different from his time as King of All England. He has been reborn, time and time again, merely waiting for the day he is awakened again. This is where you come in."
"So, you want me to find Arthur and awaken him. Easier said than done. He could be anywhere or anybody."
"We can help with that." Titania waved her hand, and a medallion materialized around Vee's neck. "This sigil will glow when in proximity to the Sleeping King. We know for a fact he resides in England.. All of his lives have taken place within his once great kingdom."
"Okay. I'll do my best," Vee promised. "My family can help as well."
"Indeed," Titania replied with a smile. "Once you find the King, go to the place where stones circle the Earth. Declare the name of the swordbearer and his blade will reveal itself."
"Alright," Vee nodded and bowed. "You can count on me."
Later, after being transported back to London, Vee reconvened with her family at the hotel and told them what she heard.
"So…" Kagome began, "you ran into Merlin at the bookstore, was taken to Avalon, and the Fairy Queen gave you a mission to track down King Arthur to stop a coming evil?"
Vee just nodded.
"Yeah, that sounds just crazy enough to be true," Leo decided.
"Dude, is it weird that we're just accepting stuff like this to be true?" Mikey asked.
"Have you seen how weird our lives are?" Hisako questioned rhetorically.
"And from the sound of it, this big evil is the one Null reports to," Raph mused.
"If that's true, we need to look into this," Leo decided. "Starting with finding 'The Sleeping King'."
"Queen Titania gave me something to help with that," Vee held up the medallion. "According to her, this will glow when we're near Arthur's current incarnation."
"Well, there's that," Donnie said. "But he could be anywhere in England."
"Then we better start looking," Karai decided.
And that's just what they did. The rest of the day had the Hamato family searching London far and wide, high and low. No stone was left unturned as they scoured the city for the Sleeping King. By the end of the day, they were all exhausted and had gotten nowhere. They gathered in a small cafe, slumping around a large table.
"Well, that's it," Raph grumbled. "We've searched this entire damn city twelve times, and not even a shimmer from that fancy amulet."
"Maybe he's on vacation or something," Mikey suggested.
"Or maybe he doesn't live in London," Karai offered. "Titania didn't specify that the king is here. Just somewhere in the country."
They all buried their heads in their arms. About that time, their waiter came out.
"Evening," he greeted. "My name's Aaron, I'll be your server. Can I start you all off with something?"
They all immediately perked up, sitting up straight.
"Sorry," Leo told him. "It's been a long day. What do you have?"
Aaron began listing off the specials before glancing over at Vee.
"Ma'am, your necklace is flashing," he informed her. "Is it some sort of alarm?"
They looked down; indeed, the medallion was glowing. They looked between Aaron and the medallion, realization dawning.
"Um…" Aaron began, confused, "why are you looking at me like that?"
Hisako waved her hand, eyes flashing.
"You're going to go clock out now," she said, her voice echoing.
"I'm going to go clock out now." Aaron repeated, his voice dull.
"You'll meet us out back in five minutes," Hisako went on.
"I'll meet you out back in five minutes," Aaron repeated.
He began walking almost robotically toward the back.
"Okay, so we found Arthur's latest incarnation," said Kagome. "But now what? He doesn't remember anything."
"Maybe Hisako can awaken them?" Leo offered.
"How?" Hisako asked. "I mean, they aren't his memories. They're… I don't even know where to begin."
Vee looked down at the medallion, an idea forming.
"This medallion helped us find him," she mused. "Maybe it can help us awaken him."
"This is very much your area, Vee," Karai decided. "You call the shots."
"Though maybe we should head out back for Aaron," Donnie suggested.
Leo nodded. "Agreed."
-X-
At the back of the cafe, Aaron was just coming out. He looked around, seeing nothing.
"Hello?" he called. "Is anybody-?"
Vee appeared from the shadows behind him, quickly slipping the medallion around his neck. Almost immediately, his eyes became pure white. Floods of images coursed through his mind. After a minute, it stopped and he shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
"What the…?" he managed.
On cue, the Hamato octet emerged from the shadows before him.
"I know it's crazy, and I don't expect you to believe me, but everything you just saw was the truth," Vee told him. "Aaron... you're King Arthur reborn."
"This… this is unreal," Aaron let out, holding his head. "I'm bloody King Arthur…"
"Sorry to drop it on you out of the blue," Leo added. "I know it's a lot to take in."
Aaron turned to them.
"Why is all this happening?" he asked. "Who even are you?"
"The Ninja Turtles from New York City," Mikey replied. "Surely you've heard of us."
"Oh right," Aaron remembered. "I saw you on TV. But what do you have to do with all…" He gestured to the medallion, "this?"
"It's a long story," Vee replied. "But I know someone who can explain it better than us."
They took Aaron to Goodfellow Bookstore. Aaron stood next to Vee as Merlin explained everything.
"Arthur, my boy," Merlin said with a smile, "you look just like you did when I first found you. It is so good to see you again."
"I... guess I could say the same," Aaron replied. "Right now, I'm still trying to take all this in."
"I suppose you are," Merlin agreed. "Even so, we need you. We need the One True King to rise and protect his kingdom."
Aaron nodded after a slight pause. "I'm not sure what I can do, but... I'm in this too deep to turn back now."
"Okay, we found Arthur," said Kagome. "Now we need to find the place where 'stones circle the Earth.' Anyone have an idea where or what that is?"
"Stonehenge," Donnie said immediately. "I mean, come on. It's fairly obvious."
"Well, not all of us are genius super-scientists, D," Raph deadpanned.
"I suggest you move quickly," Merlin cut in.
They all nodded at that before quickly departing. Shortly after that, the door opened, revealing a monstrous figure. The new entry was a big burly creature that stood at around seven feet tall, having a monkey-like face with dark blue skin and red eyes. He was clad in black-and-silver body armor from head to toe, with a large circular blue gem on the chest plate right above his heart. His bare feet, which were as blue as his face, were cloven hooves, and at his waist was a sword that bore a resemblance between a katana and a broadsword. Protruding from his back were a large pair of black feathered wings, and snaking from his tailbone was a thick, powerful tail at least four feet long.
"Ah, Merlin," the monster greeted in an almost friendly tone. "How long has it been? Three, four hundred years?"
"Akiba…" Merlin scowled. "What are you doing here?"
"You know damn well why I'm here, old man," Akiba shot back. "You're gonna tell me where Excalibur is, one way or another."
"Never, foul creature," Merlin spat, summoning his robes and staff once more. "Now begone from my shop."
Akiba rolled his eyes. "You think I'm scared of you, you dried-up old fart?"
"I may be old, but I am not without power," Merlin shot back defiantly.
"I'd like to say that I was hoping you'd give up the info willingly," Akiba drew his sword, smirking evilly. "But that would be a lie."
Merlin's staff began to glow…
Meanwhile, the Shellraiser rolled up to Stonehenge.
"Well, here we are," said Leo.
They all climbed out.
"So…" Aaron began, "now what?"
"Call out the name of the swordbearer," Vee replied.
"You mean Arthur?" Mikey asked. "Or Aaron?
"No," Vee said. "The swordbearer is the one who presents the sword to the King."
"So, who's the sword bearer?" Donnie asked.
"The Lady of the Lake," Vee answered.
"Nimue…" Aaron muttered before standing to his full height. "Nimue!"
Suddenly, the center of Stonehenge began to glow. A fair sized anvil with a massive ornate sword embedded in it rose from the ground, the statue of a woman standing behind it, hands spread. Everyone was in awe at the sight, Vee in particular.
"The legendary sword Excalibur…" she grinned. "Well, I can check seeing it off my bucket list."
"Um, sis?" Mikey began. "Did you forget that girl who had it when we met the other Us'?"
Vee waved a hand dismissively. "That was an alternate reality version of the sword. Doesn't really count."
"So… now I just draw the sword, correct?" Aaron questioned.
"Yep," Vee confirmed. "Draw the sword and become the King you were meant to be."
Before Aaron could make his way to the sword, Hisako tensed, sensing an ominous presence approaching.
"Guys…" she began, "someone's coming."
They all had their hands on their weapons as Akiba swooped down, holding a battered Merlin in one hand.
"So, the geezer was right," he mused before tossing Merlin aside like a used gum wrapper, the old wizard collapsing where he landed.
"Merlin!" Vee screamed.
"Who or what the hell are you?" Raph demanded.
Akiba turned to them, giving a sweeping bow. "Name's Akiba Spada."
"Never heard of you," Mikey said simply.
"Well, I've heard of you," Akiba replied. "The Ninja Turtles who've been giving Null one hell of a time. Honestly, the Master made a mistake when he accepted her soul so long ago."
"Aaron, get the sword," Leo ordered. "We'll hold off Akiba."
Aaron nodded as the Hamato siblings turned to face Akiba.
"You have no idea who you're dealing with, Akiba," Kagome told him.
Akiba just scoffed.
"I'm a whole different game than Null, kids. You're playing with the big boys now."
"We'll see about that!" Hisako shouted.
They all launched himself at Akiba, but he was able to hold them all off rather easily. Leo slashed at him repeatedly, but Akiba casually dodged before lashing out, landing a flurry of rapid blows to Leo's face with one hand before a final punch to the nose knocked Leo off his feet.
"Nice try, kid," he taunted. "Maybe in ten years, you have a chance at beating me."
Raph and Donnie attacked at the same time, aiming for his head. Akiba got stabbed in the wing by a sai, letting out a pained grunt before slapping Raph aside. Donnie's staff collided solidly with his head.
"Ha!" Raph taunted. "You bleed!"
Akiba darted in front of him with his arm extended, his middle finger flexed and held in place by his thumb right in front of Raph's face. The flick of his finger hit Raph squarely in the forehead, knocking him back a considerable distance.
"And so do you," Akiba deadpanned.
Hisako tossed her tessen at Akiba while charging at him, fists glowing as she prepared to take him down. She landed a few blows, drawing blood before Akiba's tail lashed out, snaking around her neck tightly and lifting her off the ground.
"The choke's on you, honey!" he mocked.
Hisako gagged, pulling on the tail with her hands to little avail. Eventually, in desperation, she sank her teeth deep into Akiba's tail with all her strength. Akiba let out a pained shout before letting her go, blowing on the bite marks and fanning them with his hand. Hisako spat, blood staining her teeth.
"Damn, that was gross," she remarked.
"Bitch!" Akiba shouted, both pained and angry. "You bit my fucking tail!"
Mikey's kusarigama wrapped around him.
"Next time, don't put your tail in someone's mouth!" the orange turtle shot back.
As the fight continued, Aaron made a run for the sword. He grasped the hilt, then pulled, drawing it free from the stone. A light shone, getting everyone's attention. They all turned, Merlin slowly raising his head to notice and smile.
"The king… has returned," he let out.
Akiba smirked, casually breaking the chain of the kusarigama.
"Now this looks like fun," he remarked, turning to Aaron. "So, what do you say I take that sword off your hands?"
"Like you'd ever be worthy of wielding it," Vee spat.
"Who said I wanna wield it?" Akiba held up his own sword. "Wailing Dark here has served me quite well over the years. No, I'm here to destroy it."
They gasped at that.
"Destroy Excalibur?!" Kagome exclaimed.
"Of course," said Akiba. "You think I'll let a weapon that powerful exist to threaten my Master?"
"If you want it so bad, I'll give it to you," Aaron declared, holding up Excalibur in preparation to fight. "Pointy end first."
"Very well then." Akiba got into a sword fighting stance. "Let's see if you live up to your legend."
They clashed furiously, Aaron holding his own quite well. Akiba grinned.
"Gotta say, I always wanted to test my skills against the best," he remarked. "You've earned my respect, King Arthur. I'll make your end quick and painless."
"I will grant you the same courtesy, demon," Aaron replied.
Eventually, Akiba had an opening, and plunges his sword into Aaron's stomach. Everyone gasped in horror as Aaron let out a grunt.
"You were an admirable adversary, King Arthur," Akiba mused. "But in every game, there are winners and there are losers."
"NO!" Vee screamed.
She ran over, catching Aaron as he fell. Excalibur fell as well, and Akiba reached for it... only to feel a searing pain as if it was burning him alive. He let out a pained hiss and recoiled, blowing on his hand.
"Damn…" he cursed as Vee looked up at him in rage.
"You…" she growled. "You monster!"
She grabbed Excalibur, effortlessly picking it up. It began glowing in her hands, like it had with Aaron.
"WHAT?!" Akiba shouted.
"You're dead!" Vee screamed.
She charged in a rage, slashing at Akiba. He dodged the attack, still in shock.
"This is impossible!" he shouted. "No one but King Arthur should be able to wield the blade! How are you doing this?!"
"Don't know, don't care!" Vee snapped.
Deciding to cut his losses, Akiba spread his wings and darted into the sky.
"As the old saying goes, he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day!" he declared.
And with that, he was gone. The others ran over to the downed Aaron, Kagome wrapping her scarf around his wound as a makeshift tourniquet.
"Stay with us, Aaron!" Mikey pleaded. "Don't step into the light!"
Merlin struggled over to Aaron, holding his staff in shaking hands.
"Vocate venti fortunate, ex rege Oberonis, pars velum inter mundos, ad orae Avalonis!"
Light surrounded all of them, swallowing them whole. They reappeared in the same field as before.
"Nimue!" Merlin called as Aaron looked at his bandaged wound.
"Well... guess I'm just gonna have to try again next rebirth," he let out, giving a weak chuckle.
"Do not die on me just yet, Arthur," Merlin insisted. "You will live through this."
"Indeed he will."
A woman with hair that went from blue to white, wearing a gown looking like a cloth version of a lake appeared before them.
"The Lady of the Lake, I presume?" Leo asked, getting a nod.
"My lady, he was fighting the demon Akiba Spada and got stabbed," Vee explained quickly. "Can you save him?"
"Indeed I can," Nimue confirmed. "I can save both of them."
She waved a hand over them. Slowly, the two men began to transform into trees.
"Hey, whoa!" Mikey exclaimed. "I thought you were gonna heal them, not turn them into plants!"
"Their wounds are grave," Nimue told them. "This is the only way to save their lives. Unfortunately, I fear it will be some time before they are well enough to fight again."
"We found King Arthur, only for him to almost get killed the minute he gets the sword," Leo lamented. "Now what do we do?"
"I believe you already have a solution," Nimue gestured to Excalibur, still in Vee's hand.
They looked at the blade, the question all coming to mind.
"How can Vee even touch Excalibur?" Kagome questioned. "Akiba said only Arthur himself could wield it."
"Only Arthur can draw it because he is pure of heart," Nimue explained. "It seems your sister shares this trait."
"So it's not so much him specifically, but the pure of heart," Leo mused. "It makes sense, honestly."
Vee looked at the sword in awe before turning to Nimue.
"I'll wield it with pride," she vowed. "Until Aaron recovers, I'll take good care of it."
"See that you do," Nimue replied. "It will serve you well in the fights to come."
"This Master Akiba kept mentioning," Donnie deduced. "But who-?"
"Don, let's just focus on HAVOC for now and cross that bridge when we get to it," Raph cut in. "We've got enough to worry about for now."
"I agree with Raph," said Leo. "We've got our own fish to fry right now."
"Thank you for your aid," Nimue said gratefully. "The Sleeping King has awakened, and will rule one more. Until then, it's time for you to go back to your own world."
She made a circle with her fingers, opening a portal beneath them.
The siblings were deposited back in their hotel, much to the surprise of Splinter and Kasumi.
"What in the name of-?!" Splinter exclaimed.
"Where have you all been?" Kasumi questioned.
They all exchanged looks, chuckling before Vee held up Excalibur.
"Kasumi, Dad…" she began, "it's a long story."
Author's Note:
(1): Fear of wolves.
Well, that's it.
King Arthur and whatnot were featured in the 1987 Vacation in Europe sub-season, which is part of the inspiration for this. The character of Akiba Spada is my own OC.
Please R&R. Until next time!
