Special Thanks to pacphys for editing
Chapter 19
The Trail of Fire
The next corridor was long and earthen. As they walked together Freyja asked, "Have you thought about it?"
"Thought about what?" Leonardo asked.
"What your greatest fear is?"
Leonardo shook his head. "No," he admitted. "I have a feeling this is one of those trials where we find out how little we know ourselves, or worse, how much we keep deluding ourselves."
"Ever since I was a small child I feared fire," Freyja said uneasily. "Badb would not see a weakness within me, and I learned to hide my fear, but I still fear it, even a fire place would drive me to the far side of a room." She hung her head in shame.
"Didn't Badb try to help you overcome your fear?" Leonardo asked. "I had a phobia when I was a kid too. My sensei worked a long time with me, and had to resort to a trick to shake me of it for good."
Freyja looked at Leonardo quizzically. "Badb did not help me to overcome my fear. She told me my fear showed weakness. If I ever reacted with fear she would punish me severely. "
That confused Leonardo. "I don't understand. How can you show such loyalty to someone who punished you for being afraid?"
"Badb told me I must be strong and not succumb to fears. She is very powerful."
Leonardo was going to argue the point more, but just then they came across a door with the fire symbol embedded in a giant scallop shell on the front. "I guess this is the place." He touched the symbol on the door. The symbol glowed in response, and the door slid open. Leonardo and Freyja looked at each other, they each took a deep breath, and walked into the chamber together.
Leonardo looked over the challenge before him. A superior grin played across his face. "If this is supposed to be my greatest fear," Leonardo said to Freyja, "Then somebody in this place is seriously slipping."
Before them stood a bottomless pit. Leonardo looking over the edge could truly not see the end of it. Across from the pit was a door very much like the one they had just entered, but there the symbol on the clam shell was that of water. The only way to the door was on a thick rope that hung suspended over the pit. Tongues of flames danced over the bottomless pit.
Freyja hissed as she took in a breath, and her grip increased on Leonardo's arm.
"Easy Freyja," Leonardo said soothingly. "You can do this. You're a ninja, aren't you?"
"I...I cannot cross the fires!" Freyja said trembling.
"Yes you can!" Leonardo insisted. "Remember I told you when I was little my sensei helped me overcome a fear. It was my fear of heights, and if you'll let meI'll help you overcome your fears now. "
"No!" Freyja pulled away from Leonardo and pressed her body against the walls of the chamber. "I cannot do this!"
Leonardo sighed. "Freyja watch me! It's easy." Still facing her, Leonardo started to slowly pace backwards on the rope. He knew full well that he had the skill and the balance to walk this rope backwards if that was what it took to get Freyja to join him.
He steadily kept backing up on the rope keeping his eyes on Freyja. A quarter of the way across he stopped and called to her. "Come on Freyja! Don't look at the fires! Just look at me, and come here."
Freyja looked out at Leonardo surrounded by the dancing flames, and simply shook her head no, terrified beyond words.
"Yes you can!" Leonardo insisted. When he saw her eyes move back to the flames he said, "No! Don't look at the fire. Just look at me." When he had her full attention he said, "good. Now take one step forward."
Sweat pouring down her forehead, Freyja looked directly into Leonardo's eyes and took one hesitant step forward.
"That's good." Leonardo said. He could feel the heat around him, but the flames were not near the rope. He knew it was safe to cross. "Now keep your eyes on me Freyja, and take another step."
Very slowly she did so. Leonardo sighed relieved. Maybe this wasn't going to be as hard as he thought. Suddenly he felt the rope bounce as if someone had joined him over the abyss. Leo looked behind him. Twenty little red creatures were pouring out of a hole in the wall above the exit. They looked like some type of giant lobsters with six set of pincers instead of the usual two. Their heads had two large eyes protruding from stalks, and mandibles the size of shuriken, and just as razor sharp.
"Uh oh," Leonardo said uneasily as they converged on the rope. He drew his katana and waited to see what the little creatures would do.
"Leonardo? What is wrong?" Freyja asked.
That puzzled Leonardo for a second. "Can't you see them? There are almost two dozen of these little things."
"What things? Leonardo, I see nothing."
That made Leonardo wonder. Were these creatures some type of illusion? As if in answer, one of the little lobster creatures bit him on the leg. "Ow! Hey!" Leonardo began fighting off the little creatures. "Stupid little bugs!" The rope shifted and swung again making him look up. The creatures were biting on the rope.
"Cut that out!" Leonardo said, as he brought his katana down on the creatures. He easily vanquished them, but as he looked up again he could see more and more of them crawling out of the hole in the wall.
From her place on the edge of the pit, Frejya called out, "Leonardo, what is it? I don't see anything."
"You don't?" Leonardo asked, as he continued to fight the strange creatures. "There are these lobster things pouring out of a hole on the other side. There are too many of them!"
Freyja tried to move forward to pull Leonardo off of the rope, but the fire flared up and forced her back against the wall.
Meanwhilefor every creature Leonardo managed to knock down into the pit, five more would pour from the crevice to take its place. He was beginning to get a familiar ache in the pit of his stomach. He never forgot that feeling. Before he knew what was happening he flashed back to that horrid night that he first encountered the Foot Elite. He could see in his mind the appearance of the Shredder. That awful helpless feeling when he was flung through April's window nearly unable to move with pain.
NO! Leonardo thought to himself firmly. He forced the images out of his mind, and renewed his battle efforts. I'm not going to fail this time. I'd rather die than fail Freyja!
It was no use though. As hard as Leonardo fought there were more and more of those little monsters flooding out onto the ropes and chewing them into strands.
NO, Leonardo prayed silently. Please, no I can't fail!
I can't fail
Why can't you?
Huh?
Leonardo didn't know where the odd little voice came from in his head, but it sounded sort of like the reflection of himself that he had battled before.
Why can't you fail? The voice continued gently. What god decided that you could never fail or make a mistake? You have made mistakes this week. A lot of them. Did the world come to an end? Did you shrivel up and die?
Mikey almost died, Leonardo answered that strange voice within.
Everybody is going to die sometime, the voice answered. And you haven't answered the question. Why can't you fail? Why does it eat away at you every time you're not perfect at something? What are you afraid of?
Afraid?
Suddenly it hit him. Now he understood what he was facing. He breathed a silent prayer of forgiveness to the beings controlling this trial. They didn't misjudge him and set up a fear that he had already conquered. They had made him drop his guard and set him up to fail at the task he had appointed for himself.
I have to fail. I have to face failure and accept it. How could he do that though? It only took a few more seconds of battling the little lobster creatures when suddenly he knew. Failing in this task meant letting Freyja down. She was going to have to face her deepest fear alone.
"Freyja," Leonardo said. "I'm sorry. I can't help you now."
"Leonardo no!" Freyja said concerned. "You are fighting an illusion! There is nothing there!"
"They're not an illusion," Leonardo tried to explain. "You just can't see them. It's like our reflections. It's this place that's generating them, but they're just doing it for me. I bet you can't see them because your trial is different, or connected. Either way I can't help you conquer your fear, and I'm sorry. I don't like letting people down, but this time I don't have a choice."
"Leo, don't talk like this!" Freyja begged. "Just come back over to this side of the pit, and we can work this out."
Leonardo looked at the hoards of little lobster creatures crowding both sides of the ropes, and knew what it was that he had to do. "I don't think so, but don't give up. You can do this without me. Good luck."
With that Leonardo, closed his eyes, stepped off the rope, and allowed himself to fall down into the bottomless pit.
Raphael slid under the swing of the manriki gusari, caught the chain on his sai, switched the chain to his hand, pulled down the Foot Amazon on Badb's left then dove for cover as Badb let loose another violent stream of levinbolts.
Badb was dressed in her black and purple dogi with her black hair bound up in a knot. In her dark grey eyes was a wild look as she used magic to attack the group.
Only now, facing Badb, did Raphael think about how crazy they all had to be to do this. Man, no wonder Murial didn't want to fight her. This old bat's crazy.
She was crazy, but she was also powerful. With her eyes glowing a sickly green, she was able to fling lighting bolts as if they were toys, and her aim was very good.
"How much longer do we gotta do this?" Raphael asked sourly as he ducked behind a pillar.
"Until your brother has finished his trials," Megan answered. "The Oracle said that he must touch the healing waters before Badb finds the Rhinegold for us to be victorious."
"What is this Rhinegold anyway?" Raphael asked. "Why does she want it?"
Michelangelo slid in past the fighting to join Raphael and Megan. "It's kinda like a Lord of the Rings thing. It wastes whoever wears the thing."
"It wastes them?" Raphael echoed. "Then why does she want it."
"Badb has never believed the tale of the Rhinegold," Benten said as she deflected the levin bolts with her trident. "She has always believed that if she wears the Rhinegold she will be able to destroy all that oppose her, and she will gain the ultimate power."
Suddenly a thought occurred to Raphael. "Wait a minute, you know her?"
Benten ignored Raphael's question. She rose from her position, and addressed the sorceress directly. "Badb, we will not let you succeed in your mad plan! Turn back or we shall be forced to subdue you!"
"You can try old fool!" Badb said contemptuously, "But you won't win!" With that she launched another barrage of lightning bolts straight at Benten. Without a thought to his own safety Michelangelo dove for Benten and protected her with his
own shell. Michelangelo cried out in pain as the back of his shell scorched and burned, but the lightning didn't penetrate to harm his flesh underneath.
"Mikey!" Raphael cried out. He rushed over to Michelangelo and Benten. Badb moved past them towards the main chamber.
"I'm...I'm Okay," Michelangelo said, wincing a bit. "My shell's just a little cooked."
Benten rose up from under Michelangelo. "Raphael hurry, we cannot let Badb reach the Rhinegold! It is inthe main chamber sealed inside of the throne!"
Raphael didn't need to be told twice. He raced for the main chamber and saw Badb. She was standing at the edge of the moat around the five tiered dais that held the throne of the matriarch. Raphael watched as she powered up again to fling leven bolts at the marble and crystal throne. He pulled a shurikin from his belt, and threw for her hands. A slim red ribbon of blood formed along the heel of her left palm. As she clutched her wounded hand to her breast she turned and faced her assailant with hate in her eyes. "You dare cut me you beast!"
"You'd be surprised at what I'd dare witch!" Raphael shot back eagerly, forgetting his earlier apprehension. His blood was hot now, and he was anxious for battle. He positioned himself between Badb and the throne, and waited for her attack.
Badb drew a dagger from her belt and began to charge Raphael, but at that moment Donatello managed to slip into the chamber and used his bo to trip Badb.
"I am beginning to see why Saki dislikes you turtles so much!" Badb shouted. Donatello was way to close to her and her next blast of mage energy threw him backwards into the throne cracking it slightly.
"Donny!" Raphael called out. Badb was getting ready with another blast, so Raphael dove for his brother, and shielded him from the second attack.
"Get out of my way you misshapen freak!!" Badb shouted out. She sent out another bolt of energy flinging both Raphael and Donatello against the wall of the chamber.
Raphael shook his head out, trying to clear it when suddenly the entire temple rang like a huge bell vibrating the walls and floor of the chamber. Even the pools of water all around the chamber vibrated making the surface of the water shimmer and dance.
"What the shell was that?" Raphael asked.
Benten and Michelangelo appeared in the doorway. A flash of lightning from Benten's trident threw Badb back into the throne. "Surrender Badb! You cannot win now!" Benten ordered.
"Does that mean Leo's reached the healing water?" Donatello wondered.
"Maybe that's what that bell thing meant," Raphael said rubbing a sore spot on his neck.
Badb began to laugh insanely as she rose from where Benten had thrown her. She rose to her feet with her eyes glowing a sickly green, and a golden ring glowing green on her finger. "Fools, Fools all of you! I have the Rhinegold now and nothing NOTHING can stop me!!" The energy of the ring flowed all over Badb's body and consolidated in front of her. Without even gesturing Badb blew Benten and Michelangelo through the door. At that moment a second bell rang through the temple.
"Now what was that bell for?" Raphael asked.
Donatello's eyes widened. "The girl! Remember, Leo's in there with one of those Foot Amazons!" But we don't know if the bell before was Leo's or not! Badb might have reached the ring before Leo reached the healing water!"
"Doesn't matter, Donny" Raphael said as he drew his sai. "We didn't know if we'd make it when we started this game. We might as well finish it up."
"You are so right Turtle!" Badb said with a wicked cackle. "It doesn't matter at all because you and all of yours are going to DIE!" Again the energy sparkled all around her and the two turtles found themselves flung out of the room with the force of her blow.
Raphael found himself forced against another wall. As Donatello helped him up he saw Michelangelo forced backwards by another blast. Michelangelo landed in the water that was being blown around by gale force winds. On the surface of the water bobbed a round pink object the size of a ping pong ball.
"No!" Raphael shouted in shock and horror. "Mikey's pearl!"
Coming Soon Chapter 20 Into the Water We Go
Why do you call yourself turtle? The voice asked.
Puzzled Leonardo answered, That is what I am. What I was before we were mutated.
Is it what you wish to be? The voice asked. The change in subject confused Leonardo.
What I wish-? Leonardo wasn't sure why but he now felt compelled to answer the voice aloud. "What do you mean? I mean that is what I am. I can't change that."
What if you could? The voice insisted. If you could be human, would you? If I could wash the sea from your blood, would you wish that?
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