Disclaimer: Don't own the Ninja Turtles, do own a bunch of other stuff in here.
----
Shayl dove at the Xawk, grabbing it around the neck and squeezing, hoping to kill it before it could wriggle free. The little beast was screaming wildly, frantically, and Shayl realized suddenly that Blackie was screaming too. He was flying circles around her head, tangling his claws in her hair. Suddenly, Shayl understood why Blackie was so upset; she was strangling Rudy.
She released him, "God, Rudy...I'm sorry."
Rudy informed her that he really ought to claw her eyes out, but since he was a nice Xawk he would let it go just this once. After all, he knew that she was afraid bad Xawks would come into her hiding place, and Rudy wasn't the only red Xawk there was.
Shayl sighed, "Did you find Don? Please tell me you did."
Rudy told her that indeed he did not find Donatello, and that he thought Don might be on Earth. He was the best Xawk there was, but he couldn't go to Earth; it's against the rules.
"I know that Rudy," Shayl said, "But, surely -you- know that he can't be on Earth. We're not allowed to go there unless we have Messenger duty."
Rudy told her that he didn't know how Don could have gotten there, but it was the only explanation he could think of. Don couldn't be dead; Rudy would know.
At this point, Blackie commented that Rudy probably too dumb to know that. Rudy chittered angrily at him, saying that he -was- the smartest Xawk, and what did that make Blackie, hmm?
Shayl waved her hands around at both of them angrily. "Stop it! I don't care which of you is smarter. I want to know what's going on."
Rudy didn't know, and neither did Blackie. They both apologized profusely to Shayl, but she just shook her head at them.
"What good are you, anyway?"
Rudy told her that she wouldn't be anywhere without a Xawk to to guide her. Shayl was about to comment that she wouldn't be in the blasted cavern if it weren't for Xawks when Rudy shot into the air and disappeared.
"What was that all about?" Shayl asked Blackie.
He told her that something big had happened, and she should be able to feel it in a few moments.
Shayl waited and then, in a rush, the knowledge came to her. There were no more rules! None! The Reapers could go to Earth, they could kill....they could do anything they wanted! Shayl gasped in horror. She knew how important the rules were; this was absolutely the worst thing that could happen.
Shayl realized that this event must mean that Don hadn't been completely cut off from Gaia when he'd first contacted her. She thought back to that moment and realized that there -had- been a small influx of knowlede in her mind, but she had ignored it completely in her shock over the whole matter. Now that Gaia was completely cut off, Shayl felt the absence in her very bones. Whereas before the Reapers might have gotten away with only petty rule breaking, now they could unleash a terror upon the Demon and living worlds that was unparalleled! Shayl knew she had to do something, but what? She was low-ranked Reaper...very nearly the weakest. She would just have to find Donatello somehow; he was the only one strong enough to stop what was sure to be a chain reaction of epic proportion.
Shayl had no doubt who the perpretrators of this act were; she just couldn't figure out how they had managed it. Ssylvar and Orgo were powerful, the second and third most powerful of all the Reapers, as a matter of fact, but there was no way they could have managed to cut Gaia off like that...not on their own. Shayl shook her head; she just couldn't fathom it...she also couldn't fathom their gall. This world had existed in a balance for billions of years thanks to Gaia. It was only when intelligent life evolved that she had to start dealing with politics and emotions. Everything else was like conducting a symphony, but trying to conduct intelligence was like trying to catch a waterfall. Shayl did not envy Gaia's position, and she rather felt she had done a good job for a very long time. Now, however, was an unprecedented problem. Shayl knew it was unprecedented. She'd taken great care to study the history of the Earth. There was nothing like this.
Shayl continued to fret, turning this enormous problem over and over in her mind. She couldn't even figure out who to trust. The -only- one she could trust was Don, and she was fearful he wouldn't trust her. She would just have to be hopeful....and she had to find him. Shayl willed Rudy to return with good news.
----
"It didn't work," Raph said flatly. Ssylvar was fuming.
"Shut up you little freak!" Ssylvar exclaimed.
Raph's eyes flashed with anger and his fists balled at is sides. He was about two seconds from attacking Ssylvar when Orgo put up a warding hand. His face was weary.
"Forgive him, Raphael," Orgo said, "He's just frustrated. That was a very difficult spell that we probably will not have the chance to cast again."
Raphael did not seem placated. Leo stepped up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Come on, Raph," he said, "Orgo's right. He's just angry. I'm sure he didn't mean it."
"Like hell I didn't!" Ssylvar snarled. Raph lunged forward, but Leo and Orgo both jumped in his way, holding onto him.
"Let me go!" Raph yelled, struggling.
"Ssylvar," Orgo said, looking over his shoulder, "I know you're mad, but try to relax. We don't need any undue tension. There's enough of it already."
Ssylvar was still fuming, but he said nothing more. After a few minutes of being held, Raph finally started to calm down, but he didn't look any less angry.
"Fine," Ssylvar said, "We'll just have to think of something else. In the meantime," he tore open a portal angrily, "You two turtles will stay at my house. We'll come get you when we're ready."
Leo and Raph did not look like they wanted to go through that portal. Ssylvar held back a snarl, but his face was twisted in renewed rage.
"Please," Orgo said, "It's for the best. We all need a chance to cool down."
Leo sighed, "All right. C'mon Raph." Leo walked over to the portal and stepped through. Raph followed, but just before he entered he flashed a very rude gesture in Ssylvar's direction. Once they were gone, Ssylvar exploded.
"God DAMN it! I'm gonna show that -Raphael- who's running the show here," Ssylvar sneered Raph's name as if it were an insult. He began stomping around the room. "Why didn't that spell work? We were SO CLOSE! How did that portal get disrupted?"
Orgo shrugged, "I think we've been had."
"Had?"
"Yes. Did it ever occur to you that Gaia may have anticipated this action and chosen the new Wiyem accordingly?"
Ssylvar snarled, "No, but if it occured to you, why didn't you SAY something?"
"It actually didn't occur to me until after the plan had failed. Rigai won't be happy."
"Yeah," Sslyvar said, "And he'll blame -me- for it. It was -his- plan."
"You're a fool," Orgo said, "He can hear you, and you're really gonna get it now."
Ssylvar sneered, "I'm not afraid of him, and besides, we'll get the Siyem eventually. Something worked, because the rules are all gone now! Bah! Who cares if we get the Siyem anyway? We can kill everybody if we want to! We'll get so much power, there's no -way- he can stop us!"
"We'll never get enough power, and you know it."
"Shut it," Sslvar said, "That's just a myth."
Orgo shrugged, "If you say so. You're right about one thing, though. We can kill people now, and I'd really like to get on with that."
Ssylvar grinned maliciously. "Yes, I think that would be a great idea. But first," he snapped his fingers, and his blue Xawk appeared in the air, "Go look for the Siyem," he sait to it. Orgo summoned his Xawk and told it the same thing.
Both Xawks refused to depart, saying that he had gone to a place where they'd be killed if they went. Orgo and Ssylvar were both furious, and Ssylvar told them both that if they didn't go -he- would kill them, only it would be in the most painful way they could imagine. Both Xawks reluctantly departed, choosing to chance death rather than guarantee it.
----
Don stumbled through the portal right behind Mike and Splinter. He'd taken them to another set of sewers, though Mike could tell that they were not in New York. He passed by a plaque which read: 'City of Toronto Sanitation.' Mike wondered why Don had taken them here, but didn't get a chance to ask.
"What is this? What is going on?" Splinter was yelling and squirming in Michelangelo's grasp. The turtle did not release him, but he had a very worried look on his face. Donatello rushed over to them.
"Please, Master. Try to relax. We're going to explain everything," Don tried to speak in a placid tone.
"No. I will -not- relax!" Splinter yelled, "-You- just killed Michelangelo, and now you've come back with another impostor! You've taken him from me!"
"Master," Mike said, "Please...please try to understand. Don did kill me, but I'm ok. I'm still me. He had to kill me to stop that whirling vortex. If he hadn't, you would have been sucked in, and you both would have been killed!"
Donatello nodded, "I'm so sorry," Don said, "I sorry I got you guys involved in this mess, but....if I had been dragged into that portal and killed, I think that would have doomed everyone."
"Everyone?" Splinter asked, making an honest attempt to calm himself. This was not how Ninja Masters acted. Mike released him gingerly, stepping back with an ashamed look on his face.
"Everyone," Don repeated, "I think that what's happening here is the worst thing that's ever happened....I'm not sure, but I got that impression from Gaia. She managed to speak to me briefly; it was she who made me kill Mike."
Splinter gave a jerk at the mention of that horrible moment. He shook his head, trying to dispel the vision, "I do not understand. Why would killing Michelangelo stop that portal?"
"Well," Don said, "There were two Reapers trying to get to me...their names are Ssylvar and Orgo. Ssylvar was actually the one who killed me and brought me to the Demon world."
At this Splinter gave a start, but he said nothing.
Don continued, "I'm still a little foggy on the details, but Gaia chose Mike to be the Wiyem because this portal was going to go through the...well, the -new- Wiyem. Ssylvar and Orgo probably killed the old one. Reapers can't kill normal Demons, but they can kill each other, so it's very possible. Well....now they can kill other Demons too, since Gaia is gone..." Don shook his head; this was all such a mess, "So, I think they were planning to use the new Wiyem as a sort of link to Earth, while he was still of the living world. Gaia used what was left of her power to make sure that the Wiyem was someone I would be near...I kinda think she had something to do with me appearing where I did when I was escaping from the demon world."
"So..." Mike said, "I guess it kinda makes sense now. Those guys want you dead, because you can stop them, and Gaia made sure that they didn't get you by making sure that I became the Wiyem....boy, it's a good thing she's the one who chooses the Wiyem."
"That spell wouldn't have happened if she didn't choose," Don said, "All the other Reapers besides you and me are chosen by a group vote, and all the candidates are already dead."
Splinter rubbed his face, trying to make sense of all of this, "This is...very hard to digest," the old sensei finally said, "If I understand this correctly, it's very possible that ALL of my sons are dead?"
Don nodded sadly, "It is possible, I'm afraid. Mike and I are dead..though, -dead- is a relative term here. I don't know about Leo and Raph. I'm still puzzled as to why they would try to kill me, and by kill me I mean kill me so that I'm gone to oblivion. Though, I'm even more shocked that Leo was actually able to injure me!"
"He injured you?" Mike asked.
"Yeah...cut my shoulder pretty bad; though, it's healed already." Don shrugged.
"Something is not right here," Splinter said.
Don nodded, "I agree. Something is foul...I just wish I knew more."
Mike looked worried, "Master Splinter?" he asked, "Do you beleive me and Don? Do you beleive that we really are us? I'm afraid you might still think we're impostors..."
Splinter gave Mike a sad little smile, "I think I may believe you, my son. This is all very strange, but I have seen many strange things in my long life. My hopes are certainly raised when I see you both; I can hope that, even if you are dead, you still exist."
Mike smiled, "This is all pretty weird. I still can't believe I'm some kind of Demon...I don't feel that much different. Stronger...but, not much else."
"There's many things you have to learn," Don said, "I haven't learned hardly anything." Don sighed, "I did learn one thing, though. All those bastards have to do is send a Xawk after me and they'll find us. Hopefully being in this cramped space will give me a chance to catch one if it appears."
"A Xa-what?" Mike made a face.
"A Xawk," Don repeated, "I should call Rudy. Maybe he'll know something." Don snapped his fingers and said "Xawk!" Rudy appeared in the air immediately.
"Oh..." Mike said as the strange creature appeared. Splinter stared at it with interest.
"Good to see you, Rudy," Don said as the creature snuggled against his cheek. Rudy responded in kind. He also told Don that he'd been hard to find and he should have just called him sooner. That made it easy.
"Ok," Don said, "Do you know what's going on here, Rudy?"
Rudy told him that he didn't know much, but he did know that all the rules were gone for Reapers, and that Shayl was hiding because the two Very Bad Reapers had trying to kill her. He also told Don that he was supposed to go back to Shayl and tell her where Don was.
"Is that thing...talking?" Mike asked, staring at the little creature.
Don smiled, "He's not really talking, you just understand him because you're a Reaper. You have a Xawk too, y'know."
"I..I do?"
Don nodded. "Just snap your fingers and say 'Xawk.'" Don looked Rudy in the eyes, "Go tell Shayl where we are. Tell her to get here as fast as she can." Rudy squeaked and was gone.
Mike snapped his fingers and said the word 'Xawk,' and much to his and Splinter's startlement, a little white Xawk appeared in mid air.
"Oh my gosh..." Mike said. The little white chittered excitedly and Mike laughed, "He says his name is Clip! What a weird name!"
"You really understand those things?" Splinter said in amazement.
Don grinned, "It takes a little getting used to, but I like them. Most Reapers don't, but they make decent company." Mike was scratching Clip's head as Don spoke, and the little white was making a rather strange purring sound.
"He likes me!" Mike exclaimed.
----
Shayl nearly leapt out of her skin when Rudy returned; this time he'd come out of nothingness screaming his head off, hoping she would recognize him.
"Calm down, Rudy! I know it's you....stop it! Ow...get out of my hair!"
She finally managed to convince Rudy that she wasn't going to strangle him. He settled on the floor in front of her and proceeded to recount Donatello's whereabouts. He also told her that he was with the Wiyem, and some kind of giant rat. None of this made sense to Shayl, and she decided to discount it as the ramblings of a foolish Xawk. She stood up and made herself a portal.
She stepped out into another cave, but Shayl realized that it really wasn't a cave like hers had been. It was more of a tunnel, clearly manmade. Rudy took off to Shayl's right, and she reluctantly followed him. She didn't fancy sneaking up on Don; she didn't want him to leave.
She walked for a few minutes, when suddenly she was pinned to the wall by someone very strong. She gasped in surprise, and then heard a familiar voice.
"Oh, sorry Shayl." It was Don.
"Jeez..." Shayl said, "How did you hear me?"
"I'm a ninja," Don said, "It's what I do best. Listen, Shayl. I'm so glad you're here...." Don paused; maybe he -wasn't- glad she was here. What if she was in on this mess too?
"Relax," Shayl said, anticipating his lack of trust, "I'm not your enemy. Ssylvar and Orgo tried to kill me; they're the ones who're behind all this."
Don nodded, "Honestly, the thought didn't cross my mind until right now. You did try to help me, and you seemed to respect the old Wiyem, who clearly didn't like Ssylvar and Orgo," Don sighed, "You're my only hope, anyway. I don't know anything."
"No, you really don't," Shayl said tartly, "So...what is all this?" she asked, noticing with startlement the other two figures standing behind Don, "What's with the rat and the turtle?"
Splinter and Mike both found that they were frowning at this sour woman. They both wondered how much Don had had to put up with her.
Don sighed, "Something really, really bad happened. It all started right after I send Rudy to you about being cut off from Gaia. I was attacked and somehow managed to escape to Earth."
"Who attacked you?" Shayl asked forcefully.
Don blinked, "That was the weird part. It was two of my brothers, Raphael and Leonardo."
Shayl nodded, "I thought something like that might happen. Ssylvar and Orgo would never try to kill you themselves."
"Afraid to get their hands dirty?" Don asked.
"No," Shayl said, "Afraid to die. Whoever kills a Siyem dies too."
"You're -kidding-!"
"I'm not. They probably brought your brothers in to be their assassins."
"But...my brothers would have no reason to kill me," Don said.
"Ssylvar and Orgo could have given them reasons," Shayl said ominously.
"What kind of reasons?"
Shayl waved her hand, "We may never know. Anyway, tell me about these two here." She guestured at Splinter and Mike.
"Well," Don said, "I made it to Earth, and I think Gaia helped. Michelangelo here found me," Don guestured to him, "and brought me back to my old home from when I was alive. I talked to him and my sensei here," he guestured to Splinter, "and explained to them what happened to me."
Shayl looked displeased at this, but she waved for him to continue.
Don continued his explanation, telling Shayl about the portal, and about how Gaia had chosen Mike to be the new Wiyem, because apparently the old one had been killed. Shayl clenched her fists at this news; she looked -very- angry.
"Great," She said, "This is really bad. Because Gaia's gone, there's nothing stopping Orgo and Ssylvar from going on a killing spree, which they'll undoubtedly do because they can consume the power of those they've killed. They'll grow exponentially more powerful!"
"But..." Mike said, "Won't that make beating them impossible?"
Shayl shrugged, "It might, but there's this myth that the Siyem grows in power as his subordinates grow."
"Are you certain it's a myth?" Don asked.
"Who knows? There's never been a reason for it to be implemented. Never before have the Reapers rebelled against Gaia. Who knows how many of them are involved in this..."
"This is indeed a very serious problem," Splinter said, "And I am beginning to understand why it is happening. Your kind is bound by many rules, given by Gaia, correct?"
Shayl and Don both nodded. Splinter continued.
"With power comes much responsibility, so it seems that Gaia made sure that your Reapers were forced to be responsible. Some of your people clearly resented that responsibility. Who knows how far back the corruption goes? If these people truly are elected by the others, then nearly the entire group could be corrupted."
Shayl nodded, suddenly feeling much respect for this old rat. She understood now why these turtles called him 'sensei.' "It's all true. Many of the Reapers are drunk by their own power, and unhappy that they can't use it and grow even more powerful. Many of them think they are the rightful rulers of the world, and it's only Gaia who is holding them back."
Don nodded, remembering something, "When I first agreed to become the Siyem, Ssylvar paraded me around, telling everyone that their new leader had arrived. It was all really weird."
Mike had been quiet for some time, but decided to speak up, "So...what do we do now? It sounds like these guys could kill every single person, living and dead."
"They won't kill everyone," Shayl said, "They'll kill enough to gain great power...which will probably be almost everyone, and then keep the rest as their slaves."
"And they will kill the living as well," Splinter sighed, "This Gaia was right; this could indeed be the worst thing to ever happen."
"They probably won't kill the living; they'll get more power out of them if they kill them as Demons...they may enslave them though," Shayl said, "And you're right, this is bad. The biggest problem now is, what do we do?"
Don shook his head, "I was hoping you would know the answer to that question."
"I don't," Shayl said, "You are the only one who can beat them, but you need time to learn how to do it. I can teach you, but...it may do no good. As I said, every moment our enemies grow more powerful."
"There's not much else we can do," Splinter said, "You must teach him, and hope that this myth of yours is actually true."
Shayl sighed, but nodded, "Ok...but, we can't stay here, unfortunately. We have to go back to the Demon world."
"Why?" Mike asked.
"Because, most of the spells I'm going to teach you and Donatello are very destructive and would bring these tunnels down on our heads. If we go to the bedrock caverns of the Demon world, the first things Gaia ever created, we can train without fear of being smashed. The only problem is, Orgo and Ssylvar will probably be expecting us to go there."
"You're gonna teach me?" Mike asked.
Shayl nodded, "You need to learn how to defend yourself...for all the good it will do. You're the weakest Reaper of all."
Mike shrugged, "Fine with me. I'd rather be the weakest than the strongest."
"You're just like your brother," Shayl said with disgust.
Don interrupted them, "Are the caverns you want to go to pretty cramped? Don asked, "If so, we can catch the Xawks they send. That's why I brought us here."
Shayl nodded, "That's our only hope. Come on, we have no time to waste."
"Wait!" Mike exclaimed, "What about Master Splinter? We can't just leave him here...I -know- it's breaking some kind of rule to bring him there."
"There are no more rules, remember?" Shayl said, "But, it would not be advisable to bring him to the Demon world. He is comparitively weak to even the weakest normal Demon. He would have the same chance as an ant fighting a bootheel."
"I'm not leaving him!" Mike said.
Shayl sighed impatiently, "Very well. One of you will have to link to him."
"Link?" Splinter and Don asked at the same moment.
"It's fairly simple. One of you will perform a spell, which I suppose I'll have to teach you, and Splinter here will gain all of your physical stregnth and endurance, but none of your power. In fact," Shayl seemed thoughtful, "That's probably what Orgo and Ssylvar did with your brothers."
"Woah..." Mike said, "So...they're not dead?"
"Probably not," Shayl said, "But anyway, do you want to do it this way? You only get to do it once in your life, so..." Shayl shrugged.
Don nodded, "I'll do it. No offense, Mike, but I'm a -lot- stronger than you, and Master Splinter would have a better chance with my stregnth. Um...that is, Master, if you -want- to have this happen to you..."
Splinter seemed deep in thought for a moment, "Yes, I believe I will go along. Now that I am embroiled in this mess, I could not just tear myself away. I would not be able to sit at home and wonder what was happening to all of you."
Shayl nodded, "Ok then. Don, you'd better listen carefully to me, because I'm -not- teaching this to you twice."
Shayl then went over the spell with Don, teaching him the runes he had to speak and the motions he had to go through to make it work. It was a rather easy spell, but Don had proven that he had difficulty with the easy things, but was quite adept at the almost impossible acts. She was pleased when he seemed to pick up the spell quickly. Shayl stepped back to give Don some room, and he began chanting. At first the runes came out tenuously, but Don began to gain confidence as the spell went on. He drew a strange shape in the air, which glowed blue for a moment, and then wizzed through space toward Splinter and smacked into his right shoulder.
The rat jumped back in startlement, but realized immediately that the blue flame did not hurt. It left a strange scar, burning off his fur where it had hit him.
"Good," Shayl said, "Now we can go. Follow me." She made a portal, and one by one they filed through, each with something to think about; each wondering how they'd ever gotten mixed up in all this, and each wondering what on earth they were going to do to fix it.
----
Ok...I've got some more pictures for you guys. The first one is Ssylvar again, but I airbrushed it in Photoshop. It was kind of a quick render, but it came out looking ok. The other is a sketch of Orgo, also colorized in Photoshop. Enjoy, and thanks again for the reviews!
http://www.geocities.com/animtr83/Ssylvar2.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/animtr83/Orgo.jpg
----
Shayl dove at the Xawk, grabbing it around the neck and squeezing, hoping to kill it before it could wriggle free. The little beast was screaming wildly, frantically, and Shayl realized suddenly that Blackie was screaming too. He was flying circles around her head, tangling his claws in her hair. Suddenly, Shayl understood why Blackie was so upset; she was strangling Rudy.
She released him, "God, Rudy...I'm sorry."
Rudy informed her that he really ought to claw her eyes out, but since he was a nice Xawk he would let it go just this once. After all, he knew that she was afraid bad Xawks would come into her hiding place, and Rudy wasn't the only red Xawk there was.
Shayl sighed, "Did you find Don? Please tell me you did."
Rudy told her that indeed he did not find Donatello, and that he thought Don might be on Earth. He was the best Xawk there was, but he couldn't go to Earth; it's against the rules.
"I know that Rudy," Shayl said, "But, surely -you- know that he can't be on Earth. We're not allowed to go there unless we have Messenger duty."
Rudy told her that he didn't know how Don could have gotten there, but it was the only explanation he could think of. Don couldn't be dead; Rudy would know.
At this point, Blackie commented that Rudy probably too dumb to know that. Rudy chittered angrily at him, saying that he -was- the smartest Xawk, and what did that make Blackie, hmm?
Shayl waved her hands around at both of them angrily. "Stop it! I don't care which of you is smarter. I want to know what's going on."
Rudy didn't know, and neither did Blackie. They both apologized profusely to Shayl, but she just shook her head at them.
"What good are you, anyway?"
Rudy told her that she wouldn't be anywhere without a Xawk to to guide her. Shayl was about to comment that she wouldn't be in the blasted cavern if it weren't for Xawks when Rudy shot into the air and disappeared.
"What was that all about?" Shayl asked Blackie.
He told her that something big had happened, and she should be able to feel it in a few moments.
Shayl waited and then, in a rush, the knowledge came to her. There were no more rules! None! The Reapers could go to Earth, they could kill....they could do anything they wanted! Shayl gasped in horror. She knew how important the rules were; this was absolutely the worst thing that could happen.
Shayl realized that this event must mean that Don hadn't been completely cut off from Gaia when he'd first contacted her. She thought back to that moment and realized that there -had- been a small influx of knowlede in her mind, but she had ignored it completely in her shock over the whole matter. Now that Gaia was completely cut off, Shayl felt the absence in her very bones. Whereas before the Reapers might have gotten away with only petty rule breaking, now they could unleash a terror upon the Demon and living worlds that was unparalleled! Shayl knew she had to do something, but what? She was low-ranked Reaper...very nearly the weakest. She would just have to find Donatello somehow; he was the only one strong enough to stop what was sure to be a chain reaction of epic proportion.
Shayl had no doubt who the perpretrators of this act were; she just couldn't figure out how they had managed it. Ssylvar and Orgo were powerful, the second and third most powerful of all the Reapers, as a matter of fact, but there was no way they could have managed to cut Gaia off like that...not on their own. Shayl shook her head; she just couldn't fathom it...she also couldn't fathom their gall. This world had existed in a balance for billions of years thanks to Gaia. It was only when intelligent life evolved that she had to start dealing with politics and emotions. Everything else was like conducting a symphony, but trying to conduct intelligence was like trying to catch a waterfall. Shayl did not envy Gaia's position, and she rather felt she had done a good job for a very long time. Now, however, was an unprecedented problem. Shayl knew it was unprecedented. She'd taken great care to study the history of the Earth. There was nothing like this.
Shayl continued to fret, turning this enormous problem over and over in her mind. She couldn't even figure out who to trust. The -only- one she could trust was Don, and she was fearful he wouldn't trust her. She would just have to be hopeful....and she had to find him. Shayl willed Rudy to return with good news.
----
"It didn't work," Raph said flatly. Ssylvar was fuming.
"Shut up you little freak!" Ssylvar exclaimed.
Raph's eyes flashed with anger and his fists balled at is sides. He was about two seconds from attacking Ssylvar when Orgo put up a warding hand. His face was weary.
"Forgive him, Raphael," Orgo said, "He's just frustrated. That was a very difficult spell that we probably will not have the chance to cast again."
Raphael did not seem placated. Leo stepped up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Come on, Raph," he said, "Orgo's right. He's just angry. I'm sure he didn't mean it."
"Like hell I didn't!" Ssylvar snarled. Raph lunged forward, but Leo and Orgo both jumped in his way, holding onto him.
"Let me go!" Raph yelled, struggling.
"Ssylvar," Orgo said, looking over his shoulder, "I know you're mad, but try to relax. We don't need any undue tension. There's enough of it already."
Ssylvar was still fuming, but he said nothing more. After a few minutes of being held, Raph finally started to calm down, but he didn't look any less angry.
"Fine," Ssylvar said, "We'll just have to think of something else. In the meantime," he tore open a portal angrily, "You two turtles will stay at my house. We'll come get you when we're ready."
Leo and Raph did not look like they wanted to go through that portal. Ssylvar held back a snarl, but his face was twisted in renewed rage.
"Please," Orgo said, "It's for the best. We all need a chance to cool down."
Leo sighed, "All right. C'mon Raph." Leo walked over to the portal and stepped through. Raph followed, but just before he entered he flashed a very rude gesture in Ssylvar's direction. Once they were gone, Ssylvar exploded.
"God DAMN it! I'm gonna show that -Raphael- who's running the show here," Ssylvar sneered Raph's name as if it were an insult. He began stomping around the room. "Why didn't that spell work? We were SO CLOSE! How did that portal get disrupted?"
Orgo shrugged, "I think we've been had."
"Had?"
"Yes. Did it ever occur to you that Gaia may have anticipated this action and chosen the new Wiyem accordingly?"
Ssylvar snarled, "No, but if it occured to you, why didn't you SAY something?"
"It actually didn't occur to me until after the plan had failed. Rigai won't be happy."
"Yeah," Sslyvar said, "And he'll blame -me- for it. It was -his- plan."
"You're a fool," Orgo said, "He can hear you, and you're really gonna get it now."
Ssylvar sneered, "I'm not afraid of him, and besides, we'll get the Siyem eventually. Something worked, because the rules are all gone now! Bah! Who cares if we get the Siyem anyway? We can kill everybody if we want to! We'll get so much power, there's no -way- he can stop us!"
"We'll never get enough power, and you know it."
"Shut it," Sslvar said, "That's just a myth."
Orgo shrugged, "If you say so. You're right about one thing, though. We can kill people now, and I'd really like to get on with that."
Ssylvar grinned maliciously. "Yes, I think that would be a great idea. But first," he snapped his fingers, and his blue Xawk appeared in the air, "Go look for the Siyem," he sait to it. Orgo summoned his Xawk and told it the same thing.
Both Xawks refused to depart, saying that he had gone to a place where they'd be killed if they went. Orgo and Ssylvar were both furious, and Ssylvar told them both that if they didn't go -he- would kill them, only it would be in the most painful way they could imagine. Both Xawks reluctantly departed, choosing to chance death rather than guarantee it.
----
Don stumbled through the portal right behind Mike and Splinter. He'd taken them to another set of sewers, though Mike could tell that they were not in New York. He passed by a plaque which read: 'City of Toronto Sanitation.' Mike wondered why Don had taken them here, but didn't get a chance to ask.
"What is this? What is going on?" Splinter was yelling and squirming in Michelangelo's grasp. The turtle did not release him, but he had a very worried look on his face. Donatello rushed over to them.
"Please, Master. Try to relax. We're going to explain everything," Don tried to speak in a placid tone.
"No. I will -not- relax!" Splinter yelled, "-You- just killed Michelangelo, and now you've come back with another impostor! You've taken him from me!"
"Master," Mike said, "Please...please try to understand. Don did kill me, but I'm ok. I'm still me. He had to kill me to stop that whirling vortex. If he hadn't, you would have been sucked in, and you both would have been killed!"
Donatello nodded, "I'm so sorry," Don said, "I sorry I got you guys involved in this mess, but....if I had been dragged into that portal and killed, I think that would have doomed everyone."
"Everyone?" Splinter asked, making an honest attempt to calm himself. This was not how Ninja Masters acted. Mike released him gingerly, stepping back with an ashamed look on his face.
"Everyone," Don repeated, "I think that what's happening here is the worst thing that's ever happened....I'm not sure, but I got that impression from Gaia. She managed to speak to me briefly; it was she who made me kill Mike."
Splinter gave a jerk at the mention of that horrible moment. He shook his head, trying to dispel the vision, "I do not understand. Why would killing Michelangelo stop that portal?"
"Well," Don said, "There were two Reapers trying to get to me...their names are Ssylvar and Orgo. Ssylvar was actually the one who killed me and brought me to the Demon world."
At this Splinter gave a start, but he said nothing.
Don continued, "I'm still a little foggy on the details, but Gaia chose Mike to be the Wiyem because this portal was going to go through the...well, the -new- Wiyem. Ssylvar and Orgo probably killed the old one. Reapers can't kill normal Demons, but they can kill each other, so it's very possible. Well....now they can kill other Demons too, since Gaia is gone..." Don shook his head; this was all such a mess, "So, I think they were planning to use the new Wiyem as a sort of link to Earth, while he was still of the living world. Gaia used what was left of her power to make sure that the Wiyem was someone I would be near...I kinda think she had something to do with me appearing where I did when I was escaping from the demon world."
"So..." Mike said, "I guess it kinda makes sense now. Those guys want you dead, because you can stop them, and Gaia made sure that they didn't get you by making sure that I became the Wiyem....boy, it's a good thing she's the one who chooses the Wiyem."
"That spell wouldn't have happened if she didn't choose," Don said, "All the other Reapers besides you and me are chosen by a group vote, and all the candidates are already dead."
Splinter rubbed his face, trying to make sense of all of this, "This is...very hard to digest," the old sensei finally said, "If I understand this correctly, it's very possible that ALL of my sons are dead?"
Don nodded sadly, "It is possible, I'm afraid. Mike and I are dead..though, -dead- is a relative term here. I don't know about Leo and Raph. I'm still puzzled as to why they would try to kill me, and by kill me I mean kill me so that I'm gone to oblivion. Though, I'm even more shocked that Leo was actually able to injure me!"
"He injured you?" Mike asked.
"Yeah...cut my shoulder pretty bad; though, it's healed already." Don shrugged.
"Something is not right here," Splinter said.
Don nodded, "I agree. Something is foul...I just wish I knew more."
Mike looked worried, "Master Splinter?" he asked, "Do you beleive me and Don? Do you beleive that we really are us? I'm afraid you might still think we're impostors..."
Splinter gave Mike a sad little smile, "I think I may believe you, my son. This is all very strange, but I have seen many strange things in my long life. My hopes are certainly raised when I see you both; I can hope that, even if you are dead, you still exist."
Mike smiled, "This is all pretty weird. I still can't believe I'm some kind of Demon...I don't feel that much different. Stronger...but, not much else."
"There's many things you have to learn," Don said, "I haven't learned hardly anything." Don sighed, "I did learn one thing, though. All those bastards have to do is send a Xawk after me and they'll find us. Hopefully being in this cramped space will give me a chance to catch one if it appears."
"A Xa-what?" Mike made a face.
"A Xawk," Don repeated, "I should call Rudy. Maybe he'll know something." Don snapped his fingers and said "Xawk!" Rudy appeared in the air immediately.
"Oh..." Mike said as the strange creature appeared. Splinter stared at it with interest.
"Good to see you, Rudy," Don said as the creature snuggled against his cheek. Rudy responded in kind. He also told Don that he'd been hard to find and he should have just called him sooner. That made it easy.
"Ok," Don said, "Do you know what's going on here, Rudy?"
Rudy told him that he didn't know much, but he did know that all the rules were gone for Reapers, and that Shayl was hiding because the two Very Bad Reapers had trying to kill her. He also told Don that he was supposed to go back to Shayl and tell her where Don was.
"Is that thing...talking?" Mike asked, staring at the little creature.
Don smiled, "He's not really talking, you just understand him because you're a Reaper. You have a Xawk too, y'know."
"I..I do?"
Don nodded. "Just snap your fingers and say 'Xawk.'" Don looked Rudy in the eyes, "Go tell Shayl where we are. Tell her to get here as fast as she can." Rudy squeaked and was gone.
Mike snapped his fingers and said the word 'Xawk,' and much to his and Splinter's startlement, a little white Xawk appeared in mid air.
"Oh my gosh..." Mike said. The little white chittered excitedly and Mike laughed, "He says his name is Clip! What a weird name!"
"You really understand those things?" Splinter said in amazement.
Don grinned, "It takes a little getting used to, but I like them. Most Reapers don't, but they make decent company." Mike was scratching Clip's head as Don spoke, and the little white was making a rather strange purring sound.
"He likes me!" Mike exclaimed.
----
Shayl nearly leapt out of her skin when Rudy returned; this time he'd come out of nothingness screaming his head off, hoping she would recognize him.
"Calm down, Rudy! I know it's you....stop it! Ow...get out of my hair!"
She finally managed to convince Rudy that she wasn't going to strangle him. He settled on the floor in front of her and proceeded to recount Donatello's whereabouts. He also told her that he was with the Wiyem, and some kind of giant rat. None of this made sense to Shayl, and she decided to discount it as the ramblings of a foolish Xawk. She stood up and made herself a portal.
She stepped out into another cave, but Shayl realized that it really wasn't a cave like hers had been. It was more of a tunnel, clearly manmade. Rudy took off to Shayl's right, and she reluctantly followed him. She didn't fancy sneaking up on Don; she didn't want him to leave.
She walked for a few minutes, when suddenly she was pinned to the wall by someone very strong. She gasped in surprise, and then heard a familiar voice.
"Oh, sorry Shayl." It was Don.
"Jeez..." Shayl said, "How did you hear me?"
"I'm a ninja," Don said, "It's what I do best. Listen, Shayl. I'm so glad you're here...." Don paused; maybe he -wasn't- glad she was here. What if she was in on this mess too?
"Relax," Shayl said, anticipating his lack of trust, "I'm not your enemy. Ssylvar and Orgo tried to kill me; they're the ones who're behind all this."
Don nodded, "Honestly, the thought didn't cross my mind until right now. You did try to help me, and you seemed to respect the old Wiyem, who clearly didn't like Ssylvar and Orgo," Don sighed, "You're my only hope, anyway. I don't know anything."
"No, you really don't," Shayl said tartly, "So...what is all this?" she asked, noticing with startlement the other two figures standing behind Don, "What's with the rat and the turtle?"
Splinter and Mike both found that they were frowning at this sour woman. They both wondered how much Don had had to put up with her.
Don sighed, "Something really, really bad happened. It all started right after I send Rudy to you about being cut off from Gaia. I was attacked and somehow managed to escape to Earth."
"Who attacked you?" Shayl asked forcefully.
Don blinked, "That was the weird part. It was two of my brothers, Raphael and Leonardo."
Shayl nodded, "I thought something like that might happen. Ssylvar and Orgo would never try to kill you themselves."
"Afraid to get their hands dirty?" Don asked.
"No," Shayl said, "Afraid to die. Whoever kills a Siyem dies too."
"You're -kidding-!"
"I'm not. They probably brought your brothers in to be their assassins."
"But...my brothers would have no reason to kill me," Don said.
"Ssylvar and Orgo could have given them reasons," Shayl said ominously.
"What kind of reasons?"
Shayl waved her hand, "We may never know. Anyway, tell me about these two here." She guestured at Splinter and Mike.
"Well," Don said, "I made it to Earth, and I think Gaia helped. Michelangelo here found me," Don guestured to him, "and brought me back to my old home from when I was alive. I talked to him and my sensei here," he guestured to Splinter, "and explained to them what happened to me."
Shayl looked displeased at this, but she waved for him to continue.
Don continued his explanation, telling Shayl about the portal, and about how Gaia had chosen Mike to be the new Wiyem, because apparently the old one had been killed. Shayl clenched her fists at this news; she looked -very- angry.
"Great," She said, "This is really bad. Because Gaia's gone, there's nothing stopping Orgo and Ssylvar from going on a killing spree, which they'll undoubtedly do because they can consume the power of those they've killed. They'll grow exponentially more powerful!"
"But..." Mike said, "Won't that make beating them impossible?"
Shayl shrugged, "It might, but there's this myth that the Siyem grows in power as his subordinates grow."
"Are you certain it's a myth?" Don asked.
"Who knows? There's never been a reason for it to be implemented. Never before have the Reapers rebelled against Gaia. Who knows how many of them are involved in this..."
"This is indeed a very serious problem," Splinter said, "And I am beginning to understand why it is happening. Your kind is bound by many rules, given by Gaia, correct?"
Shayl and Don both nodded. Splinter continued.
"With power comes much responsibility, so it seems that Gaia made sure that your Reapers were forced to be responsible. Some of your people clearly resented that responsibility. Who knows how far back the corruption goes? If these people truly are elected by the others, then nearly the entire group could be corrupted."
Shayl nodded, suddenly feeling much respect for this old rat. She understood now why these turtles called him 'sensei.' "It's all true. Many of the Reapers are drunk by their own power, and unhappy that they can't use it and grow even more powerful. Many of them think they are the rightful rulers of the world, and it's only Gaia who is holding them back."
Don nodded, remembering something, "When I first agreed to become the Siyem, Ssylvar paraded me around, telling everyone that their new leader had arrived. It was all really weird."
Mike had been quiet for some time, but decided to speak up, "So...what do we do now? It sounds like these guys could kill every single person, living and dead."
"They won't kill everyone," Shayl said, "They'll kill enough to gain great power...which will probably be almost everyone, and then keep the rest as their slaves."
"And they will kill the living as well," Splinter sighed, "This Gaia was right; this could indeed be the worst thing to ever happen."
"They probably won't kill the living; they'll get more power out of them if they kill them as Demons...they may enslave them though," Shayl said, "And you're right, this is bad. The biggest problem now is, what do we do?"
Don shook his head, "I was hoping you would know the answer to that question."
"I don't," Shayl said, "You are the only one who can beat them, but you need time to learn how to do it. I can teach you, but...it may do no good. As I said, every moment our enemies grow more powerful."
"There's not much else we can do," Splinter said, "You must teach him, and hope that this myth of yours is actually true."
Shayl sighed, but nodded, "Ok...but, we can't stay here, unfortunately. We have to go back to the Demon world."
"Why?" Mike asked.
"Because, most of the spells I'm going to teach you and Donatello are very destructive and would bring these tunnels down on our heads. If we go to the bedrock caverns of the Demon world, the first things Gaia ever created, we can train without fear of being smashed. The only problem is, Orgo and Ssylvar will probably be expecting us to go there."
"You're gonna teach me?" Mike asked.
Shayl nodded, "You need to learn how to defend yourself...for all the good it will do. You're the weakest Reaper of all."
Mike shrugged, "Fine with me. I'd rather be the weakest than the strongest."
"You're just like your brother," Shayl said with disgust.
Don interrupted them, "Are the caverns you want to go to pretty cramped? Don asked, "If so, we can catch the Xawks they send. That's why I brought us here."
Shayl nodded, "That's our only hope. Come on, we have no time to waste."
"Wait!" Mike exclaimed, "What about Master Splinter? We can't just leave him here...I -know- it's breaking some kind of rule to bring him there."
"There are no more rules, remember?" Shayl said, "But, it would not be advisable to bring him to the Demon world. He is comparitively weak to even the weakest normal Demon. He would have the same chance as an ant fighting a bootheel."
"I'm not leaving him!" Mike said.
Shayl sighed impatiently, "Very well. One of you will have to link to him."
"Link?" Splinter and Don asked at the same moment.
"It's fairly simple. One of you will perform a spell, which I suppose I'll have to teach you, and Splinter here will gain all of your physical stregnth and endurance, but none of your power. In fact," Shayl seemed thoughtful, "That's probably what Orgo and Ssylvar did with your brothers."
"Woah..." Mike said, "So...they're not dead?"
"Probably not," Shayl said, "But anyway, do you want to do it this way? You only get to do it once in your life, so..." Shayl shrugged.
Don nodded, "I'll do it. No offense, Mike, but I'm a -lot- stronger than you, and Master Splinter would have a better chance with my stregnth. Um...that is, Master, if you -want- to have this happen to you..."
Splinter seemed deep in thought for a moment, "Yes, I believe I will go along. Now that I am embroiled in this mess, I could not just tear myself away. I would not be able to sit at home and wonder what was happening to all of you."
Shayl nodded, "Ok then. Don, you'd better listen carefully to me, because I'm -not- teaching this to you twice."
Shayl then went over the spell with Don, teaching him the runes he had to speak and the motions he had to go through to make it work. It was a rather easy spell, but Don had proven that he had difficulty with the easy things, but was quite adept at the almost impossible acts. She was pleased when he seemed to pick up the spell quickly. Shayl stepped back to give Don some room, and he began chanting. At first the runes came out tenuously, but Don began to gain confidence as the spell went on. He drew a strange shape in the air, which glowed blue for a moment, and then wizzed through space toward Splinter and smacked into his right shoulder.
The rat jumped back in startlement, but realized immediately that the blue flame did not hurt. It left a strange scar, burning off his fur where it had hit him.
"Good," Shayl said, "Now we can go. Follow me." She made a portal, and one by one they filed through, each with something to think about; each wondering how they'd ever gotten mixed up in all this, and each wondering what on earth they were going to do to fix it.
----
Ok...I've got some more pictures for you guys. The first one is Ssylvar again, but I airbrushed it in Photoshop. It was kind of a quick render, but it came out looking ok. The other is a sketch of Orgo, also colorized in Photoshop. Enjoy, and thanks again for the reviews!
http://www.geocities.com/animtr83/Ssylvar2.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/animtr83/Orgo.jpg