"Erika, wasn't-" She looked over to Erika. But she wasn't there. There was an imprint from where she had slept, then foot prints that walked around in a few circles, and back in the direction they had came from, disapearing into the southern distance. Maddie and Leonardo were gone as well. Noriko frowned and looked at all the footsteps. They had left in totally opposite directions. What was going on? She stood up and brushed herself off. This place was more and more disturbing by the hour. Noriko looked around again. None of them were in site. But a cave was about 100 yards off towards the east. They must not have seen it the night before. She scratched her head. There wouldn't be any use following the footsteps, the wind was already blowing them away. Noriko gave one last look around the camp ground and started towards the cave. The weakness she felt the day before was gone, and the closer she got to the cave entrance the more at ease she felt. It had an almost dream like quality about it.
At the entrance of the cave the sand turned thicker, with some actual organic material. Noriko peeked inside. There was rich foliage growing, like a jungle. The air was humid and warm. Grass and undergrowth tickled her ankles. Noriko walked in, lifting a heavy leaf out of her way. The sweet scent of flower nectar invited her in, she walked in farther away from the cave entrance.
Erika yawned and snuggled up beside Noriko. The sun on her skin drew her out of the dreamy daze, and she opened her eyes. The long night was over. She stretched her arms out and propped herself up on her elbows.
"Noriko," She looked down. Noriko wasn't there. There were foot steps walking off toward the east, disapearing into the horizon. Erika looked for Maddie and Leo, they were gone too. Maddie had walked off in the opposite direction of Noriko, and Leonardo had continued on the original way. Erika stood up and brushed herself off. Why had everyone left? Shouldn't they be staying together? And why hadn't they gone into that cave over there? She finally noticed the cave that faced her from the direction they had came from. How could they have missed it? Erika walked around in a circle, looking at all the footsteps walking away. She hugged herself tight. She was alone again. It was terrifying.
She began walking toward the cave. She was scared as ever, but there was no use walking away from shade and safety. There was only a single shadow now, and only a single sun. That and the dark planet beside it that seemed to hover omnisciently overhead. Erika sighed and walked into the cave. A cool breeze blew from somewhere inside, the ground turned from sand to hard dirt. The wind blew her hair off her shoulders and she walked in, warying one glance behind her.
Maddie felt the warm sun on her cheek and rolled onto her back to sun her stomach. She opened her eyes and looked up at the sky. There was only one sun this morning, closest to Leonardo. The dark sattalite was still there as well. She immediately looked to her left, sensing something was wrong. And it was. Leonardo was gone. A deep impression was left nearly intact in the sand from his shell. Two toed footsteps walked off. He had left her red cardigan sweater still folded up on the ground. Maddie flipped onto her stomach and up onto her feet. Erika and Noriko had gone as well. Their footsteps looked so alike, she couldn't tell which of them had gone in which direction. One had headed back the way they came, the other had gone in a completely other direction.
Maddie brushed off the short red pleated skirt and grabbed her sweater. She was tempted to follow after them. But they had all gone in different directions. Who should she follow? Plus, she caught site of a cave of types not far off. Maybe 50 yards off to her left. She looked at it as she buttoned her shirt up.
I guess I'm supposed to go in there. She shook the sand off the back of the sweater and started walking. Sand continued to trickle off the back of her legs as she walked. She walked right up to the mouth of the cave and looked in deliberately, for who ever was watching her. It was a wide tunnel. A tunnel leading down. She started down the path, checking back to see if anything had changed at camp. Nothing had.
The farther she got down, the more the cave resembled a growing island. There was a walk going down the center, and water sloshed up from hidden springs occasionally. Fresh lava was creeping in, smoldering red with black crusts. Fire sprouted up from the lava tops here and there. It was like what she'd seen in Hawaii.
The smoldering ground burned away her mary janes, down to her barefeet. The ground was pleasantly warm on her soles and she smiled in spite of herself.
Leonardo kept his eyes closed as he woke. He had broken the link between reaching conscienceness and his eyelids. He reviewed his situation in his mind, remembering the desert, and the girls, and now, the lack of Maddie's arm draped across his plastron. He opened his eyes and looked over. She was gone. Erika and Noriko were gone too, footsteps walking off in different directions. He lifted up his legs to see Maddie's footprints walking through the sand beneath. Not only that, but her shirt he was using as a neck rest was gone, where he was sure he would have woken if it was moved.
Leonardo sighed and set his legs back down, sitting up. It wasn't like he hadn't expected something like this. He just hadn't expected such an obvious slip up on the part of their captors. Maddie footsteps wouldn't have came under his own legs while he slept obviously. Someone was mocking him. Some idiot.
Leonardo stood up gracefully and took his bearings. Three of the suns were missing, with the exception of one. That was the north star he was supposed to use. And rightly enough, a cave had magically appeared over night in their direction. He couldn't see where the girls had gone, but his mission was clear.
Splinter had sent them on similar spiritual journeys out in the astral plane, he knew there was some goal he was being sent to accomplish. He just didn't know what it was. yet.
Leonardo walked up to the cave and looked inside. The weakness he had so suffered from before was gone, wisped away durring the night. He put a hand on the mouth of the cave and raised an eyebrow.
Water ran through from a hidden spring underneath the mouth of the cave, and poured out into an underground river. The ceiling met the water at a downward slope, closing off the air and turning to a full tunnel of water. Igneous rock walls were smooth from years of erosion, and had gathered by the entrance like steps. It reminded him uncannily of the creek passage by the beach. Leonardo sat down on the rocks and set his feet in the water. It was fantastic. Like herbal tea for his feet. He felt every muscle relaxing.
Leonardo stepped into the water and eased himself down onto the stoney floor. Although the water should have froze him in his spot, he found it unusually refreshing. He walked in farther until his head came under the water. He could see straight through the river, crystaline water. The current pulled him away, and farther down the tunnel. Leonardo reached up and touched the ceiling of the river, there was no room for him to breath. But he wasn't running out of breath at all. He relaxed and swam along with the current, towards wherever it would take him.
Noriko stopped and looked around inside the cave. The thick foliege she had once had to fight her way through was thinning out. She needed not to push hanging vines and leaves out of her way. The cave forest had diluted so much she no longer needed to watch her feet. The flowers were so far apart there was no way she could clod one without planning ahead. It reminded her of some of the 'development' areas of the arboretum, where plants were just starting to grow, and were small. But instead of growing… things here were dying. They were browning, and limp. The ground was harder, no room to let things grow.
Noriko turned around and looked back. There was no way to find her way back, after so many twists and turns she had taken back in the jungle. She was lost. But there was still a place she was supposed to go. It didn't seem as good an idea then it first had. Noriko swallowed and turned back forward.
Erika frowned and looked at her sandles. Thick mud covered them, and up her leg, nearly to her knees where she had just gotten herself stuck.
"Yucky." She shook her leg, sending mud spattering off. Her other foot became stuck in the mud and she had to yank it out again. The breeze that had originally invited her forward had thinned, like a fan that had turned from high onto low. The ground had turned thick from mud, she had to fight to keep it from sucking off her sandals when she pulled her feet out from it. "I don't like this." Erika started to turn back.
The other end of the cave was sealed off, almost like she had been walking through sheer rock all the way there. Erika slogged over to the wall and put her hand against it.
"Impossible!" She gasped. "If Donatello were here he'd know what was going on." She turned back around in the cave. "…But Donatello's not here… I'm all alone." Erika swallowed. "Well…" She started walking. "…Splinter always said I needed to be more time alone... why am I talking to myself."
Maddie whimpered and wiped her eyes. The path that had so refreshingly singed her feet had been at an inclination, and slanted down farther into the ground slowly. Yet the water level had remained the same, and eventually washed over the path. The lava pits had drawn farther and farther away into tiny islands of fire, and she was now up to her knees in water.
It burned at her skin like acid. She could see her legs turning red and sore, and becoming itchy, but she didn't want to touch them anymore and get water on her hands.
Owie owie owie owie ow. Maddie wiped her tearing eyes again and began sloshing back through the water. She couldn't tell if the walk was still at a slant, or if it was curving back up again. It just hurt so bad.
Just let me get out of here, so I can get back to Uncle Joey, and Raph. I don't want to die here!
Leonardo scooped up a handful of water and splashed it over his face. The river had slowly drained out over time through small leaks in the walls. It had curved back up till the water level reached only his knees, and firey lava oozed from the walls.
Leonardo stopped for a moment to splash water onto his skin. Out of the water his skin burned, and pained like hundreds of daggars stabbing him. The water soothed his pain. He sighed and resumed his trudging.
The lava streaming down the walls panned out over the surface of the water. It was getting closer. Like a virus. Flames sprited off from the lava, threatening to lick at his skin.
"Alright, now that doesn't even make sense." Leonardo commented as a burst of lava splattered out of the wall and flamed up on the growing ground surface. Fire flared up for a moment, then burned out. His testing was growing intense, but he could take it. He always made it. No fire was going to break his spirit.
Leonardo gritted his teeth and continued on.
Noriko fell to her knees and wheezed for air. The ground was hard and cement like, furious winds blew at her, throwing specs of dust into her face. Her hair blew out behind her, the shoulder of her shirt fell down. No life here… so desolate. She grew weaker by the moment, there was no organic energy to draw on.
"Good day, Miss Moku." A deep voice came from above her. Noriko squinted and looked up. Sand blew in her eyes and she hid them behind her hand. "There's no great need for you to see my face. You already know who I am."
"You're the traveler, aren't you."
"Very good, Noriko."
"Why have you brought us here?"
"Oh," He sighed. "To get away from prying and bothersome distractions." He knelt down on his haunches in front of her. "…To talk."
"Isn't there a more suitable place to talk than this." Norikos fingernails dug into the ground to keep from being blown away from the growing winds.
"You'd like a change?"
"If you please." The sand content in the wind picked up dramatically. She spit it out of her mouth and turned her head down again to keep it from being burned from the sand.
"Anything else, your highness."
"No."
"Now you're catching on." He smirked. "So, let us begin. I must be in several places at once this morning."
"What do you want from me." He put his hand under her chin and tilted her face up to see him. Sand blew in her face still, making her tear, and irritating her eyes.
"I can see your past in your eyes…" He rubbed her chind with her thumb. "You are a lady of great lineage. True." She nodded. "You come from a long of traditional families."
"How do you know so much about me?"
"I know everything about you. I've been looking through your mind while you've been traveling… I know about your grandfather."
"Ojisan?"
"You've dishonored your family, and your grandfather." She hung her head. "Why?" She didn't answer. "You want to please him so." He brushed a piece of her hair behind her ear. "He is disapointed in you. In all you've been doing. Have you not forgotten your heritage?" Noriko bit her lip. "……Now's the time to make a decision." She looked up.
"What do you mean."
"It's easy… I'll give you back your familys' honor. I can do that you know."
"…In exchange for what."
"…Your powers." Noriko gasped.
"My powers?!"
"Think about it, Noriko… think about your grandfather."
"No, you can't have my powers!"
"Think, you are weak, it has been nearly three days and you already have a foot in the grave. Such simple conditions here, and yet look at you." He pushed her face aside. "Frail as a kitten… when the war begins, you will be useless."
"I will not."
"Your powers are in vain… what I ask is so simple. Your freedom in exchange for your burdon." Noriko shook her head. "Your friends have already agreed. Even Leonardo knows what's practical."
"Leonardo?"
"He told me he spoke with Master Splinter through the astro… plane."
"Astral plane."
"I suppose. Would you like to speak to Splinter… or your grandfather?"
"…No." She looked up at him. "No, Leonardo would never give up Lita's powers, especially since they're not his own." The wind picked up steadily. "You're lying!"
"Am I?"
"Yes! Yes you are! And I won't believe you!"
"That's too bad-"
"Get out of here! I won't listen to another word! Lying bastard!" She glared at him. He narrowed his eyes.
"…I'm sorry you feel that way." He stood back up stiffly and turned on his heels. Wind howled up from behind her, then from her sides. Noriko gasped as she was lifted up into the air, furious air currents suspending her. The traveler stood back and watched her.
Pressure grew like a tube squeezing tight around her, pushing the air out of her lungs with a burst. Noriko cringed as the pressure crushed in on her, pinning her arms to her sides. A cry rose up in her throat as her bone matter quickly crumbled. Don't give in… you can't… give… in…
Noriko folded in on herself with a splatter of blood on the ground. Nikira furrowed his brow and looked down at the red spray. These humans were much too soft. He'd have to go easier on them if they were going to last longer then 5 minutes. The cave disapeared, and he moved into the opposite one.
This one was filled with a thick substrate of mud and organic materials, a good 20 feet deep. He had designed the specifics himself. It seemed to be working. The next elemental was treading mud, struggling to stay above the surface. Her white blond hair was coated in mud, stuck helplessly in the sludge. She gasped for air, kicking her way up. He sat on a ledge in the cave side and crossed his ankles. "Good morning, Erika." Her icey blue eyes shifted to him. She was undeniably scared. Good. "Here's mud in your eye." He flicked his hand with a smirk. She pushed her hair out of her eyes, smearing the mud on her forehead. "I thought it was funny."
"Why-" She spit out dirty water. "Why are you doing this?"
"Why, for your own good… Look at you, flailing around like a wounded canard." He kicked a little mud in her face. "You can't even dig your way out." She spat the mud out. "… Are you ready to leave?" She nodded weakly. "Good." She looked up at him. He took out the crystal necklace from underneath his shirt. "Just touch your finger to this." He pulled it off his neck and held it out to her.
"What-what is it?" He held it closer.
"Just take it."
"You're going to take my power."
"Yes."
"Is that why you brought us here?"
"In a nutshell."
"Is that why I'm alone?"
"You're smart, for someone that's never been educated passed third grade." He smirked at her surprise. "I've done my homework."
"…oh."
"I know your brother has though… You're proud of him because of it."
"…yes… so."
"It's getting rather difficult to threaten effectively. Maybe I should hit you over the head with it next time."
"Don't you touch Jimmy!" He held the crystal out to her. She simmered down and closed her mouth. He gave it a flick with the tip of his pinky, making it spin around slowly.
She was thinking. Her brow furrowed a little with thought. He sat it wait, letting the necklace capture her eyes. Her mind was leaning towards his will, he stopped the spinning with his finger so the white crystal faced her.
She kept thinking… then shook her head.
"No… I can't surrender the powers of the universe… even for Jimmy." He put his foot on her shoulder.
"You would surrender your own brother instead?"
"Not that you would understand, but I would." He took the necklace back.
"Oh, I understand more then you know. But maybe you'd like to think about your descision for a little longer. I'll let you be alone." He pushed her down, under the mud with his foot. Her free hand waved around above the surface frantically. "Take your time." He called.
Nikira leaned back, holding Erika's head under with his foot. She thrashed around in the muck, but her mind wasn't waivering any closer. He pushed her down a little farther, sticking his feet in up to his ankles.
Soon the thrashing ended, her hand fell limp and immediately began sinking down. He took his foot out and looked down.
Hmmm. These mortals aren't very durable… the freak lasted longer without air with Naiya....I suppose humans though aren't as sturdy… at least I won't need any testing with this next one, however. He shook the mud off his boot. Stupid mortals.
Maddie wheezed for air, swimming lethargically forward. Her skin was bright red with irritation, and burned like boiling water. She had lost touch with the ground, cold water was everywhere. Tears burned her cheeks as well. It was like swimming in a vat of cold acid… swimming in circles.
"Why don't you take a rest." A man appeared beside her, standing on the surface of the water. She treaded water and looked up. "How's that."
"It's you," Nikira smirked. "You're behind this."
"Or is it you?"
"…What the hell does that mean?"
"Oh, there's no need to fuss." He knelt down, swirling his finger in the water. "I just dropped in to talk with you."
"Why don't you go fuck a buffalo, asshole. I'm not talking to you." She swam on. He stretched his leg out, catching her chin under his foot. "Urk-" He pulled her back.
"I'd appreciate you being a little more respectful." He turned his shoe around so the tip pointed into her throat, constricting her breath. "Foul language is unbecoming of a lady." He pushed it against her, making her hiss as she breathed. "Now… say you're sorry."
"
"Now you might think about staying put until I'm done." He straightened his jacket. "You should respect your elders."
"Fuck you." She knew she could have thought of something wittier, but the pain was unbearable, she couldn't help but rub her hive covered skin. For her words she received a kick in the side of the head. It knocked her off balance enough to make her go under, twisting under the current.
Maddie cringed as her hair was grabbed, yanking her back to the surface. She was pulled up, and above the surface of the water. The traveler grasped her hair in one hand, and held her up above the plane of rippling water, frowning as she screamed. She probably would've continued to scream if he hadn't slapped her face with his other hand.
"Enough." He twisted his hand, winding her hair around his wrist. She held onto the roots of her scalp, crying silently at the pain. "Stupid woman." Water ran down her skin, but at least she wasn't enveloped by it anymore. She kicked her feet lethargically. "Weak… like a little girl." He shook her back and forth slowly to emphasize his point. She cried out, trying to stabalize herself. "You're too weak… you cannot hold an element… you're just a smart tongued bitch, aren't you." He sneered in disgust. Maddie swallowed. Oh, Raph, I wish you were here… I'm scared. "You want your freak boyfriend here?"He can read my thoughts? "Yes, I can read your thoughts. And you're right to be scared, you whore." He twisted his hand around farther, making a stronger pull on her hair. "…I have the power to make your life a living hell… as of yet I have no intention of doing otherwise."
"Why… what do you want from me." She squeaked. He shook her around again, making her yell in pain.
"You must give me your powers. Give them to me." Geez, he's nuts! He kicked her shin. "Give them to me now."
"Why should I you big jerk!" I'm-not-scared-I'm-not-scared-I'm-not-scared. "Because… otherwise I'll leave you here to die." He brought her closer, almost nose to nose. "You'd like that?" She shivered a little under his gaze. "Hmm? …You ever want to see the boyfriend again?"
"Of course." He looked at her a while longer, gauging her inclination to his wants. She was just thinking about the freak of a boyfriend. He reached beneath his shirt and took out the crystal necklace.
"Touch your hand to it." He said quietly. Her eyes shifted down to it, the shimmering red crystal reflecting in her eyes. The light of the cavern began to turn red as she reached for it with shivering fingers. They touched the crystal side lightly, making it shiver as well. He closed his eyes, feeling her powers so close. He thought about having his way with her afterwards.
Maddie grabbed hold the entire crystal and yanked it hard, breaking the chain. Nikira jerked his neck forward, a few broken links of chain flying off behind him into the water. She glared at him.
"Go to fucking hell, asshole!" She threw the crystal far as she could behind her, splashing into the water. He snarled and tightened his grip on her hair. Almost as if he was pulling the lever for a lottery machine, he yanked her hair up, then down, sending her back into the water. She screamed as she crashed back under the surface, the pain more then double what it had been before.
And there was no way back to the surface, she continued to sink for some reason. Farther and farther like a brick, until-
A pair of hands grabbed around her neck, holding it tight. It was the traveler, his face twisted up into a snarl. His hands tightened around her and he began to shake her neck. She grabbed his wrists, trying to pull them off. But she was too weak now, her fingers couldn't grasp.
Lonely air bubbles floated up to the surface. She was dead soon after he grabbed her throat.
The body was set off, and drifted, down farther in the abyss. Strands of shimmering red hair drifted in space, beside a slowly sinking shoe.
Fire and hot rock seared at Leonardos feet, permenantly blackening his soles. Giesers of flame blasted up from all directions of the tunnel, turning it to a gauntlet of fire.
Leonardo fell to his knees, the remnants of his knee pads burning up on contact. Scabs of charred skin peeled off and simmered in the fire. One hand went to the side of his head, the other to the ground. A hiss like sigh passed his teeth, burning his mouth as he breathed in again.
"Giving up so soon, advisor." Sound wafted down from the fire above.
"Never." Leonardo took his hand from his forehead and put it on his thigh, looking upwards. Silence answered him and the traveler stepped down a staircase of fire.
"Good. I'm looking forward to a fine show."
"Don't be so cocky. A show is the last thing you're going to get." His hand turned to a fist, the knuckles resting on the ground. He would kill himself first.
"That's what I've been hearing."
"Well you heard right. So save yourself some time and send me back." A kick under his jaw sent Leonardo sprawling backwards. He reached back and grabbed a hold in the ground, stopping short of a creeping puddle of lava. A pissed off little huff passed his lips and he looked back around.
"From this point forward you won't ask me for anything but mercy." Black eyes glared back at him. "Remember this." The traveler laid his finger to the scar down his eye. "You gave me that."
"I remember."
"I didn't appreciate it much." His hand fell back at his side.
"I didn't mean it to." The traveler came forward as Leonardo smiled.
"Now who's being cocky." He grabbed the rim of the shell and used it to force Leonardos head down on his knee with a jerk. Leonardo was lifted up by the shell and held up in the air, below the flaming ceiling. "I've been waiting to do this for a long time." Hot liquid rock splattered in all directions, climbing all over Leonardo as he came crashing into the pit. His yells echoed in the cavern, struggling to keep the most of himself he could above the surface. The traveler laughed and put a hand to his chest. "Oh yes." A long drip line of molten rock hardened from the ceiling, forming into a long hook. "That's it."
Leonardo howled, wipping the hot lava away from his eyes frantically. "Well
now. I'm not quite done with you yet." The crystal necklace was hung on the
hook, swinging around below the fire. "You can wait here and think for awhile…
I'll check in with you later." Boils and blistered festered under his skin,
making his blackened skin itch and burn. The traveler chortled to himself, stepping
back. A toothy grin grew on his face and he disapeared in a flicker of light.