Of Dreams and Prophets

Note: Kay, sorry it took a while to update. This is it for the weekend, I'm trying to update all my stories before the end of next week...let's see how long it'll take me to fail....lol...anyhew, hope that you enjoy the story!

Disclaimers: I don't own the turtles or the time traveling scepter Kiyoko is mine, along with Hitomi...think that names everyone!

Kiyoko wound her way around the trail that led to the Miko's hut; her heightened senses could already detect the smell of herbs and fragrant spices that adorned her small land in the form of a garden. The priestess herself was out tending to said garden; her red hakama's a bright contrast to the greens of the wood.

"Lady Hitomi - sama! I come to seek your counsel!" Kiyoko called out, closing the distance between them quickly with a light gait.

Standing, the older woman felt along her back, working out the kinks that had formed there from being bent over for a prolonged period of time. In her hand she held a basket laden down with herbs of healing properties.

"Is that you little Hashimoto? What brings you here?"

The vision that had plagued the young kunoichi earlier that day came back as eerie shadows in her mind. And she repressed the shudder that threatened her, hoping that the priestess might be able to explain the reasoning behind the things shown to her.

"Child! What is wrong, you're trembling!" Hitomi placed a hand on Kiyoko's shoulder, trying to calm her with the slight touch.

Kiyoko, not realizing that her minds will had been betrayed by her body, she rose to her full height and willed herself to take a more passive approach.

"Lady Hitomi, I have need you of your wisdom. Today my master has performed hara-kiri. And after his burial, I returned home to meditate on all that he had taught me. During this time, the Gods, for reasons still unknown, granted me a vision."

Hitomi Miyazaki listened carefully to the young woman until she had described in detail of the sights she had witnessed.

"And while preparing for battle, the youkai, just before we came in contact, I awoke back in my hut." Kiyoko finished, breathing deeply as she finished reliving the moment.

Pausing, Hitomi took a sip of her tea thinking about what had been told to her. Finally she came to a conclusion.

"My child, can you describe what these creatures looked like?"

Nodding, Hashimoto recalled back the scene back in the large cave, their faces had been obscured by the odd masks they wore. But she was pretty sure that they appeared to almost be like giant turtles; turtles that possessed the weapons of a warrior.

Standing, Miyazaki stood and moved over to a shelf that housed all of her dried spices and herbs and moved aside a brass pot and reached in behind to pull out a scroll. Going back over to the curious woman, she handed it to her. Unrolling it, Kiyoko absorbed what she witnessed on the aged parchment immediately.

"This is what I saw! These are the youkais! But, how can that be? They are not of our time, they're world is full of strange, loud demons." She told the miko, trying hard not to sound like an ignorant child.

Taking the scroll back gently, Hitomi rolled it back up, already knowing what was painted on the paper.

"These are ashura kappa. They have been spotted only once before, and that was by the samurai Ishinomori."

"But he was laid to rest many seasons ago, why was the encounter not recorded?" Hashimoto questioned.

"Because as you must know, he was a sacred honor guard. And the demons came to him with a prophecy that he alone needed to fulfill. Even if it meant dishonorment."

The old story was one that Kiyoko remembered well, the samurai had come to believe that the Emperor was one of false lineage, and that he needed to be replaced with that of the true ruler. The story goes that one night, the samurai hired one of the Emperor's own stealth ninja's to help him perform the task, once inside, he found the emperor sleeping. And with one fell swoop of his sword, elevated the poverty of the nation by beheading the sleeping man.

"But it would have meant that he would have been honored, if he would have told of his vision."

"No my child, he would have still been dishonored. It does not matter if your ruler is harsh and tyrannical, or kind and gentle as the blooming orchid, you must always be by his side. Following his commands without question. Ishinomori could not do this."

Hashimoto set down the small bowl - like teacup and wondered furtively what mission might await her.

"Do you think that I will be shown a similar fate?"

Hitomi smiled kindly at the child she had taken care of through the years, the youngest of the village, she had great hope in her.

"We will see. But for now, it is late and you need your rest. Why do you not stay here for the night so that you do not have to brave the long trek back to your own home?"

Stifling a yawn, Kiyoko smiled, taking the miko up on the offer. Moving over toward the wall, she laid down on the straw mat made up for her and closed her eyes. Allowing sleep to overcome her stressed mind.

"Mikey come on! We don't have all day ya know! This thing is only meant to work at certain times!"

Throwing the Bermuda shorts over his shoulder, Michelangelo quickly hurried over to his brothers, grabbing hold of the scepter, instantly feeling a large shock pass through his body as the ancient artifact transported them back to wherever April had been taken.

When his vision finally cleared, he could see that they had been transported to the middle of a battle, he could see his brothers' horses charging in the opposite direction. In his hand he held the scepter high, the horse beneath him causing each bump in the road to be felt all the way into the back of his skull.

Suddenly finding himself in the woods, his helmet decided the trip would be even more fun if he were blind, and fell down over his eyes. The horse was finally starting to slow down when Mike felt a harsh blow to the head, and all went black.

TBC

Reader Response:

Pretender Fanatic: I hope that it's not too confusing for you to read. I'll continue to write all the English translations at the end of the story.

Ramica: Thank you, as for no more I just couldn't think of anything else since the movie was fuzzy, and I had to wait to find I t and watch it again! Hope you like the chapter!

Rene: Yes, feudal Japan it is, I was considering having her stay in New York when she first saw it, but decided against it. In all honesty it was too much work for me to bother with. Thank you, I like this style too, I'm hoping that I can keep it up. Oh, and the English translation to the title is 'Beauty and the Beast'...hope that answers all your question!

Hakama: A type of pants used

Miko: A female priestess

Kappa: water demon, excellent swimmer

Ashura: Asura (fighting demon)

Youkai: Demon; ghost; apparition; phantom; spectre; monster; goblin