The crystal was leading him back to the same island, glowing angerily on its chain. Nikira dropped the crystal back to hang on its chain, stopping in front of a tall willow tree. Hanging branches slapped him in the face. He smacked them out of his way and ducked beneath. From under his arm he produced a shovel he had theived from a shack in the back. Giving a grumble he tossed his jacket to one of the branches and began rolling his sleeves back.
"Man, am I glad to be home." He landed face first onto the bed.
"Me too."
"What a crappy trip. No offense to Lita, but I never want to go to Hawaii again... Stupid hurricane."
"Yes. A rude interupption."
"I'm just going to lie here. Lie here and not move."
"...I'm glad school's starting." Noriko gave the tie a last tug. "Maybe things will settle?"
"Mm mm." Donatello shrugged. The door was pushed open deliberately and he turned his head to the side to see. Grandfather Tagahasi stood in the doorway, standing straighter then usual. His whisker like mustaches were waxed down with prescision, like two toothpicks. Donatello cringed when he remember he had still to ask about the element stone.
"Good afternoon, Noriko. You had a pleasant return?"
"It was ok."
"Then good." He turned and left. Donatello turned his head back on the matress to look at Noriko.
"Are you two still fighting?" Noriko sighed.
"Sort of. If we were talking, I think we'd be fighting." Donatello sighed and smothered his face in the banket. "It wasn't so bad, until he found some college brochures in my room."
"I'll see if master Splinter will talk to him." He mumbled into the bed.
"Thanks." She patted his arm and stood up. "I'll let you sleep if you want."
"Thanks." She started walking away, he closed his eyes. Norikos sudden shriek shook him up, sending a shot of adrenaline into his viens. He flipped over abruptly, crushing his bag beneath his shell.
Noriko held her arm as if something was pulling on it, stumbling to keep balance.
"What are you doing? What's wrong?" Donatello sat up. When she didn't respond he jumped up. A scream was audibly caught in her throat, and she grabbed at her neck. She was lifted right off the ground, her face turning red. He looked at the space between her feet and the floor. "What th-" Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she dropped onto the floor. "Noriko!" He knelt beside her and felt her neck. She was still breathing. He shook her shoulders. "Noriko! Wake up!" She didn't move past the shaking he applied upon her. "Master Splinter!"
Raphael huffed and tossed Maddie's bag onto her bed. "What the hell, you line this thing with concrete?" Lita laughed, feeding her fish.
"Thank you, honey." Maddie gave him a kiss. "I'm so lucky to have such a strong boyfriend." She ran her hand down his arm. He began to grin.
"Hey, ok. I'm leaving now." Lita set the container of fish food down and left quietly. "Don't mind me." She closed the door behind her. Maddie watched her go curiously.
"Man, can she take a hint." He pulled her closer, planting his lips back on hers. Maddie moaned and pushed him back. "Come on." He leaned her backward and they tumbled over the bed. Maddie laughed.
"Again?" He ticked her sides and they started wrestling on the bed. Raphael growled and nipped her shoulder. She laughed and pinned him on his shell. "Jerk." She blinked once and her eyes took on a watery haze. She looked from side to side, her brow furrowing. "Raph?" She sat up on her knees and looked around. "Raph?"
"I'm right here." He sat up too.
"What... where am I?" He grabbed her shoulders.
"Mad-" Her skin was boiling hot, he had to let go. "Fuck-"
"Raph?" Her voice was desperate, and she looked around quickly. He caught a reflection of fire in her eyes, wherever that came from. She began coughing, and put her hand to her throat. "Help... me," She managed between coughs. Her eyes watered, and she grabbed her throat. She leaned forward, and eventually passed out. Raphael flipped her onto her back and checked to see if she was breathing. What the hell is this...
Nikira carefully placed the last elemental crystal on the matrix pedastal. All four sat on the corners of the ancient square, connected by a creavice scorn in the stone, to let the energy flow between. The diagonals between Fire and Water, Nature and Air met in the focus, where a deep cone was dug into the pedastal.
Nikira took the dark crystal and carefully set it into the focus. It slid into its place exactly, and he removed his hands from the pedastal. The charcoal color of the dark crystal began oozing through the grooves of the stone. The crystals began to spark as the dark energy reached them, shaking in their stands. The color over took each of the crystals, silencing the sparks and vibrations. Nikira smiled, it had worked. He touched his finger to the scar over his eye.
Erika watched Jimmy jiggle his fingers through the tangle of flower wreaths. His foot was propped up on pillows on his bed. She sat on the edge of his bed as he pulled the leighs over his head and grinned. She smiled faintly.
"Thanks a lot, Erika. These are so cool." He shook the necklace to embelish his point.
"You're welcome. How were things here while we were gone?" He blanched.
"Boring. Like you would not believe." She smiled and brushed a piece of hair out of his face. "... I guess I deserve it." She nodded. "... So... we... cool now?" She nodded.
"Come here." She reached out and pulled him into her arms. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight. She smiled as he buried his face in her hair. He hugged her waist a little tighter then sat back.
"...You need to wash your hair." He grinned. Erika grabbed a pillow from under his foot and hit him with it.
"Funny." She stood up. He chuckled. "I'll get you a soda." She turned to leave, the room fell away. The furniture turned to clouds, and the walls turned to vast expanses of sky. The ceiling and floor disapeared around her rapidly. Erika gasped and looked down. She seemed to be floating in mid air, there was nothing anywhere beneath her. Just more clouds. Wind wiped around her face and her eyes widened. She tried to move, but it was like she was frozen in space. The clouds were coming closer, threatening with thunder. Erika opened her mouth to scream for help, wind funneled down her throat, into her blood. It felt like the energy was flowing out of her, into the wind. She put a hand to her throat, but things were fading too fast... fading......
Leonardo carefully hung his katanas on his wall, still listening to Michelangelo babbling about the episode of Lois and Clark he missed. Something about how Clark flew all the way to china to get fresh chinese food. He was only half listening as he methodically laid the swords in their catches.
"You aren't even listening." Mike pouted.
"No." He stood back and checked to make sure they were even "Go on."
"Kay." Mike piped. Leonardo nodded to himself and began putting away the things on his bed. His mind kept going back to that night in the hotel room. What was it he had to give Lita? Sometimes just he'd like to give her a rap in the mouth. If she wasn't always getting under his shell-
Leonardo stepped back as the book he was holding dispersed into the air... but it wasn't air. He jerk around quickly, where was he? Where was Mike? The familiar walls were gone, his bed, shelves, books, posters, door, everything. He was under water. So far there was no disginuishable surface, and no distinguishable floor. Just water. Infinite water. It felt like he was sucking it in through his pores, and breathing away energy with every breath. He could see the face of the water woman in front of him. The one that tried to drown him. He snarled and made a slow swipe for her. She grinned, and his energy drained away. The swipe of his arm lost his balance, he fell slowly as the rest of his body turned. Nothing stopped him as he began to tumble farther and farther down in the water. Leonardo strained for his breath.... Everything turning black... Lita....
Splinter jolted as his name was called simultaniously by the children. He eased himself out of his chair and took hold of his cane. Michelangelo and Donatello were the first to meet him from downstairs, babbling about what he had been expecting. They turned to each other and exchanged curious looks at each others stories. Raphael was the next, sliding down the rail from the girls hallway.
"Enough," Splinter put his hand up. "Get them to bed. Bring water... It has begun."
Leonardo groaned and put his hand to his head. He grimaced and opened his eyes. The light reflecting back at him gave him a headache. He was lying on his stomach, his face buried in sand. He wiped it off his face and flicked off his hand.
"Leo?" A hand rested on his shoulder.
"Maddie?" He squinted up. The sun was right behind her, almost blinding him. He put a hand above his eyes. "What happened?" She looked behind her, and he could see Noriko and Erika were with them too.
"I don't know." He sat back on his knees and wiped the sand on his plastron. It nearly fell right off him it was so dry and thin. The whole place was dry and arid. It was a desert. He looked around, there were no mountains on the horizon anywhere. It was as if they had been dropped, literally, in the midde of nowhere. "You ok?"
"I think so." Maddie stood up and looked around again.
"...What do we do now?" Erika asked.
"We have to get out of here." Maddie summerized. Leonardo eased up onto one of his knees. "Now, which way's north."
"I don't think we're on Earth." Leonardo looked up at the fours suns. Another planet was visible in the center of them. Maddie looked in the direction he was looking and frowned. "Which means you really do need to get out of here."
"Noriko, can you feel where the mountains are?" Maddie looked to Noriko. She sat in the sand with her eyes closed.
"No."
"What?"
"There's nothing… everything's dead… can't you feel it?" She looked at Leonardo. He shook his head. She closed her eyes again. "I can't feel anything."
"…We need to go somewhere."
"Let's just pick a direction and go please." Erika stood up and dusted the sand off her skirt.
"That way." Leonardo got to his feet and motioned to the left.
"Then let's go." Maddie wiped her brow and they started walking. Leonardo got two steps before he fell onto one knee. He grimaced and groaned. Maddie dropped by his side. "What's wrong?"
"Don't… know…" She put her hand on his shoulder. "God, it hurts." He grimaced.
"What?"
"Don't know… this place… feels like fire." Maddie put her arm around the back of his shell and helped him onto his feet. He tried not to lean on her, but the pain was terrible. He felt so weak.
"Just stay on your feet."
"Yeah."
The desert was going on forever. There was still no site of mountains, civilizations, or most importantly, water. Leonardo was nearly stumbling as he walked, still using Maddie as a crutch. Noriko was held up by Erika now, her eyes drooping. The sky was darkening as the last sun sunk out of site. Leonardo insisted in pressing on, a strange drive growing within him.
Noriko whimpered and fell onto her knees.
"I can't go on." Erika knelt by her side.
"Come on, Noriko. Just a little farther."
"No." Leonardo broke in. "We'll stop here." Noriko groaned and laid down on her side. "Let's all get a good nights sleep again before we head out again. I'm sure we'll find something tomorrow." He eased down onto his knees and let go of Maddie.
"We should start a fire. It'll get pretty cold out here." She said as Leonardo laid down.
"No, no fire." He closed his eyes. "It'll attract people."
"Don't we want that?" He shook his head.
"No. Too dangerous." He rubbed the back of his sore neck.
"We'll freeze." Erika rubbed her arms, the night chill already coming in.
"You won't freeze. Stay close together. The body heat will keep you warm." He said. Sometimes girls were so dense. Maddie pulled off her shirt, folded it up, and eased it under his neck. "Thank you."
"We're all tired. Let's get some rest." Maddie said. Erika sat down beside Noriko and they both laid down. He could here them sigh with relief quietly. Maddie laid down beside him and put her hands behind her head, looking up at the sky. There wasn't a star anywhere, now that night had set. No moon either. Wherever they were… he doubted it was even their own dimension.
Maddie stirred beside him. He looked over at her and she let a small breath out of her nose. She must be pretty damn cold without a shirt on. He wasn't a master of female anatomy, but he figured she was cold if he could see her nipples through her bra. Raph would kill him if he were here.
But he didn't feel anything for Maddie. He didn't feel anything for any of them. He was actually kind of impressed at her leadership. Noriko and Erika had looked up to her. Or at least listened to her. But there was still something lacking in her, he felt.
Maddie furrowed her brow.
"What are you thinking about." He asked quietly.
"This."
"This?"
"What are we all doing here."
He looked back up at the sky. "…It seems we're on a spiritual jouney."
"…This doesn't seem like any journey."
"We're being tested. Stay strong and we'll all make it back alive."
"…Leo… Do you think we'll ever get out of here?" Her voice dropped just above a whisper. He turned his head and looked her in the eyes. She was scared. "I feel like we're going to die… I don't want to go without saying goodbye to Raph."
"You really love him, don't you." She nodded. "…Be strong… we'll get back home." She nodded and looked back to the sky. Leonardo turned his head back and closed his eyes. He hoped Maddie wouldn't crap out on him. She was the strongest of them now.
Leonardo stayed away for awhile to make sure the others went to sleep. He felt completely drained, but wouldn't rest until the others were asleep. Noriko was the first to fall asleep, then Erika, and Maddie. He began to doze off, then Maddie curled up next to him. She was getting cold, he put his arm around her and pulled her closer. His eyes struggled to stay open, so he let them close. He wouldn't see any of the girls again in the morning.