Hi everyone. Thanks again for your patience, I've been waiting to write this chapter for a long while. Here, the heroes finally face off with one of the three great evils they are supposed to defeat in order to free the forest. This is sure to be an epic confrontation and clash of various powers. With all that being said, let's get started.
The Power Within
Slowly, but surely, it appeared as if the Dark Sea was being cleaved in half. Two long walls of black ice rose high and continued to press against the raging waves. Unlike typical ice, the black variant was as strong as steel, if not stronger. The one responsible for this, the Super Shredder, continued to press his stolen power against the torrent of the Dark Sea, getting ever closer to his destination.
Once more, he heard the sound of a woman singing in his head. "I hear it…" He muttered. "We are getting closer…!" He shot his hands forward again to press another wave of black ice to push back the ocean, walking along the floor and making his way closer with each step.
Not far behind, the mutants of the Foot continued to watch with concern. "So, where exactly are we going?" Fishface asked.
"Ain't you a fish, dog?" Bebop asked. "Just swim ahead and find out."
"No way!" Fishface protested. "I already tried, and I got washed up back here! It's like the ocean itself wants us dead!"
"You reportzzz did indicate a Water Zzzpirit of zzzortzzz." Stockman-Fly buzzed. "Perhapzzz thizzz may be the cauzzze."
"That explain crazy ocean. But does not explain crazy boss-man." Rocksteady said.
"Steranko, you of all people should know the consequences of disgracing the Shredder." Rahzar warned with a growl.
"But he hear voice in head. That sound of going crazy." Rocksteady argued. "Magic-mutagen mix mess with his brain."
"The formula has affected master Shredder both physical and mentally, yes." Tiger Claw began. "However, I do believe there is something here beyond this sea. I can smell it in the air, an even stronger presence than that from the Forest."
"Oh great, so we're going to place that's even whackier than that messed up woods." Fishface said, not even trying to hide his sarcasm. "If you ask me, this whole trip feels like a waste of time."
"Bite your tongue, Xever! Before I slice it out myself!" Rahzar snarled.
"Oh, come on, you can't honestly say we're closer to getting rid of the Turtles and their friends than we have been these last few years." Fishface replied. "I want to crush their shells as much as the rest of you, but I'd prefer to actually live afterwards."
"Let us keep going." Tiger Claw said. "Whatever the master seeks, it is real. And we will find it." Though at the same time, a small part of him did agree with Xever. This was all that remained of the mighty Foot clan, and the Shredder seems even more fixated on killing Splinter and his disciples than ever, even more so than rebuilding his empire. True, the Turtles and especially the Ice Queen present very real threats, and the power he wields can easily help them take over the entire Earth if they wanted. But… something also told Tiger Claw that there was something else at play here, and he didn't like it.
Meanwhile, back at the Northuldra campsite, the Mutanimals worked with the people of the Northuldra and Arendellian soldiers to help solidify the defenses of the camp as well as scout various areas of the forests. Already, Elsa had used her magic to construct a large ice wall that encircled the whole camp as soldiers and Northuldra kept guard. Several of the Mutanimals, as well as Kristoff, Sven, Shinigami, Casey, Metalhead, and even Mattias, Ryder, and Honeymaren scouted the forest.
Within the camp, Elsa and Yelena were able to provide support for Splinter. Meditation, as well as healing mantras from Leo and even April's own psychic powers had appeared to have dealt with the worst of the damage inflicted upon him by the Super Shredder, but he still needed help as Elsa had erected an ice-cast around his broken foot so that it could heal properly. During this time, he also told the pair of his experience in the mountains.
"You've conversed with the Spirits?!" Yelena questioned. "How… how is that possible!? We can't even communicate with them… at least we haven't been able to since the mist fell."
"I'm not surprised." Elsa commented. "Master Splinter is the most spiritual man I know. But… you did say that there was a fifth spirit. You've seen it."
"I have." Splinter confirmed. "This spirit has taken quite an interest in you, Elsa. Ahtohallan is real, and I believe traveling there will give you the means to free this forest."
"Ahtohallan…" Elsa looked away slightly, just the mention of that name made her feel uneasy. Her parents died trying to reach that place. Though she had no doubt she could make it there, even her friends could, it still didn't make her feel less at ease.
"What of the other Spirits?" Yelena asked. "Did you speak with them?"
"The Earth Spirit saved my life in those mountains and gave me the means to communicate with the others." Splinter explained. "Just as the fifth spirit, the spirit of life, has taken an interest in Elsa; each of those spirits has taken an interest in one of my sons as well."
"We kinda figured that part on our own." Elsa said with a slight smile. "Leo was able to calm down Gale first, then Raph of all people was able to tame Bruni." That last part earned a chuckle form herself as well as Splinter. "Mikey hit it off with Neptune rather easily, and Donnie was able to connect with Fuji."
"After of course, a giant stone monster came to life via that crystal April has." Yelena added. "I am sorry, Elsa. But that crystal is dangerous."
"No, you're right." Elsa agreed. "And April has not been acting herself. I just hope the others can get some solid info out of it so that we can finally know what to do with it."
Meanwhile, April sat down in a separate tent with Donnie and Rockwell hooking up an odd-looking helmet to her head, with Leo, Anna, and Olaf watching over.
"Um… are you guys sure it's a good idea to hook wires onto April's head?" Anna asked with concern.
"Yeah, last time something like this happened; I ended up blind and mentally connected to a giant fish-bird-worm-thing." April added.
"Is that like one of those turduckens Mikey told me about? A turkey, that's also a duck, that's also a chicken?" Olaf asked.
"That's not quite it, Olaf." Leo told him.
"Don't worry, we've upgraded it since then." Donnie said as he and Rockwell made the final adjustments to the machine the helmet was hooked up to. "It's perfectly safe, I promise."
"And it is also necessary." Rockwell added. "When we combined our powers in that last battle, I could feel your psychic powers being amplified far more than what should be naturally possible. No doubt due to over exposure to that alien crystal."
"The same crystal that brought a mountain to life and almost leveled the entire forest, mind you." Anna reminded, causing April to glare at her.
"Well, if it can do that, then maybe it can stop the Super Shredder." April defended, holding the crystal more closely. "You all saw what he did? Not even Elsa and Splinter together could take him down! We need all the help we can get and my crystal and give it!"
"And that's what worries us." Leo said. "We still don't know anything about it."
"I gotta agree with everyone else here, April." Olaf added. "I'm getting a real bad vibe from that crystal and my instincts are usually spot on."
Nobody choose to make a comment on that as Rockwell offered his hand. "Perhaps if we could ascertain a look at the crystal itself…" His hand was suddenly slapped away by April.
"No! I'm never taking it off again! Don't any of you ask me!" April demanded as she clutched the crystal closer to her person. "It's safe, as long as I have it!"
"It's not the crystal's safety you should be thinking about." Anna muttered.
Donnie then went to work on the machine. "If we could replicate how this crystal increases your powers, that could provide a frame of reference…"
"Increase her powers?!" Leo questioned.
"Don't worry, only slightly." Donnie defended. "By… maybe 0.3 percent?"
"That is a really small number." Olaf said.
"I don't know about this." Anna confessed.
"I assure you Princess; we know what we are doing." Rockwell said as he hovered in the air with a meditative position. "I will monitor April's brainwave activity as Donatello begins the test. I am ready when you are, my young friend."
"Alright, here we go." Donnie moved the dial on the device only by about an inch, in the hopes of only increasing the powers by the small percent that he wanted. Once it was done; he, Leo, Anna, and Olaf took a small step back from April as the experiment began, not taking their eyes off her for even a second.
"Hmm, I'm not sensing anything…" Rockwell was suddenly interrupted as April gave a wild yell that unleashed a surge of psychic energy, causing it all the items and tools to shoot up in the air. April's eyes became solid white as she grabbed the glowing crystal, all the items to spin around and tear apart the tent.
"Bad idea! This was a bad idea!" Olaf exclaimed.
"Rockwell?!" Leo looked toward the mutant scientist as he felt his whole body become stiff, his limbs twisting in every which way.
"It's… too much…!"
April stood up as her hair waved wildly, her powers only increasing as a strong white aura formed around her. Everything then exploded in a powerful flash and surge that shook up the entire camp.
Pretty much every person and mutant in the camp was alerted as Raph, Karai, and Mikey were the first to arrive onto the scene with Elsa and Yelena helping Splinter there as well.
"What in the world happened here?!" Karai questioned as they saw April laying down on the ground; with Leo, Anna, Olaf, Donnie, and Rockwell recovering.
"We're you guys having another Super Smash Dance Party without me, again?" Mikey asked, which the group choose to ignore.
"April!" Elsa noticed the girl on the ground and quickly left Splinter with Yelena as she attended to the April with Leo, Anna, and Donnie right there as well. "What happened?!"
"We… we were studying the crystal and it went…" Anna tried to explain.
"It went full blown crazy! Everything moved around super-fast before it exploded!" Olaf described as best as he could.
"Knew that thing was bad news." Leo muttered.
"We gotta get this away from her!" Donnie took the crystal from around April's neck. But as he tried to walk away, the crystal began to pull itself back toward April, even escaping Donnie's grip. "The crystal!"
Everyone looked in shock as the crystal itself hovered in mid-air, as if it had a will of its own. Before it could even reach April, however, Elsa grabbed it with both her hands to encase it in a small yet thick sphere of ice before driving it into the ground. Even then, she used her magic to build a strong mound of ice that looked like a small mountain, reaching up to the height of her head.
"That should hold it… for now." Elsa hoped.
"I feared that crystal would be dangerous… it should never have come here." Yelena said.
"Then let's just get rid of it." Anna suggested.
"No… that crystal…" Rockwell tried to find the right words. "It is more than just power… there is something alive within."
"Something alive?" Raph questioned.
"What, like an alien spirit or something?" Karai asked. "Cause that's the last thing we need right now."
"I can't quite tell what it is, other than it's more powerful than anything I have sensed before." Rockwell explained as best he could. "But more importantly, it has a strong connection to April."
"I can sense it as well." Splinter added. "This entity has a strong hold over April's mind and spirit. If it were to be destroyed, it could risk grave harm to her."
"I'll find a way to sever it's connection." Donnie said. "Elsa, I could use your help."
"Of course." Elsa nodded.
"Let us tend to young April." Yelena volunteered herself as well as Splinter.
"Agreed, perhaps the mantras will help." Splinter added.
"I'll need to monitor to April as well, so I will join you." Rockwell offered.
"I got her, sensei." Leo picked her up bridal style and led April away from the sight with Yelena helping Splinter to follow him with Rockwell right behind them. As they left, Olaf couldn't help but glance toward the make-shift containment Elsa had constructed for the crystal. He could feel it in his instincts; whatever was inside that crystal, it was seriously bad news.
Meanwhile, those that went out on patrol had split into four groups of three that would cover four different directions. Slash, Honeymaren, and Pigeon Pete went north; Leatherhead, Shinigami, and Mattias went east; Mondo Gecko, Ryder, and Metalhead went south; while Casey, Kristoff, and Sven went west.
With the westward team, it seemed like the area was clear. "Sven, can you smell any bad guys?" Kristoff asked his mutant reindeer companion, who sniffed the air.
"No, they may not even be in the forest anymore." Sven said.
"But doesn't that mist-wall keep everyone from getting out?" Casey remembered. "Where could they have gone?"
"Well, there is that Dark Sea further north." Kristoff suggested. "You don't think they sailed there?"
"That was the same place where Elsa and Anna's parents died." Sven replied. "The Dark Sea is supposed to be impossible to cross."
"Yeah, unless you're a mutated psycho with magic powers." Casey put in. "I mean, seriously Shredder's ice was harder than the stuff at a hockey ring and that stuff is pretty hard."
"But why would he cross the Dark Sea?" Kristoff asked. "It doesn't make any…" Suddenly, he was interrupted by a powerful force of wind that blew past them, forcing them to brace themselves as it blew all the leaves off nearby trees before passing through.
"Whoa, what was that all about?" Casey asked.
Sven sniffed the air once more. "Something's not right. I think that was Gale, and I don't think he's happy."
Kristoff took out his T-Phone and made a call to the other teams to check on them. "Hey guys, anything weird going on with you. Because I think Gale's having a temper tantrum where we're out."
"If by weird, you mean the mountains are moaning, then yeah. We got weird stuff going on here for sure." Slash stated as he, Honeymaren, and Pigeon Pete saw the mountain rangers moving with Earth Giants that howled with painful moans into the air.
"It's almost like they're crying out… like something in the forest is hurting them!" Honeymaren tried to describe it as best she could.
"This is really starting to scare me, guys." Pigeon Pete shivered.
Leatherhead, Mattias, and Shinigami circled up as the small patch of trees that surrounded them were set ablaze. Mattias already drew his sword and held his shield.
"I thought the spirits were calmed down, already!" The lieutenant stated.
"I don't think they're mad at us. Look!" Shinigami pointed toward a tree branch where they saw the little Bruni snarling in a specific direction. "That's where the camp is!"
"Something is wrong." Leatherhead observed.
Metalhead, Ryder, and Mondo Gecko backed away from a nearby river as they saw Neptune running around the surface of the water, causing it to rage like a whirlpool.
"We've seen the spirits angry before, but not like this!" Ryder exclaimed.
"This is totally freaky dudes…" Mondo said with a gulp.
Back at the campsite, Elsa had constructed a large ice-tent around herself and Donnie as they studied the crystal rather closely, with Elsa keeping it pinned in mid-air from the containment she had constructed around it.
"Are we really sure we should be toying around with this?" Elsa asked. "I know you're the science expert, Donnie; but you remember what happened last time, right?"
"I know, I know!" Donnie replied. "But we can't just smash it! If it's still connected to April, this could really hurt her! Maybe even…" He didn't dare finish the sentence, but Elsa understood, nonetheless. "We have to get a better understanding of it. If we don't, we'll be stuck with no answers and things will only get worse."
"I understand that. But…" Elsa couldn't voice her uncertainty, and she didn't have to. They both understood they were practically playing with fire at this point, and yet at the same time, they had no choice but to continue. Donnie took out a scanner-like device and nodded to Elsa, who began to pry into the crystal with her magic, hopping to get a feel for whatever was inside.
Meanwhile, Yelena, Splinter, and Rockwell all sat around April in the elder Northuldra personal tent. Rockwell placed his fingers on April's forehead and tried to reach inside but found himself unable.
"I cannot probe her mind. It's almost as if the crystal had erected some sort of barrier that keeps me from seeing inside." Rockwell attempted to explain.
However, that did not stop Splinter and Yelena from both reaching out spiritually in their own way. April's form twitched slightly before Splinter and Yelena were each treated with flashes of images in their minds. They saw strange alien creatures in robes, the inside of a temple, an unfamiliar planet. Suddenly, both of them saw the image of an angel-like alien, unbeknownst to them: an Aeon. However, this creature suddenly transformed, taking a much more monstrous form with dark blue eyes and razor-sharp teeth.
Both elders were shocked out of their meditative states, before Rockwell could even ask what had happened, April had also awoken with a gasp.
"My… My crystal!" She looked around frantically. "Where is my crystal?!"
"April, calm down!" Splinter tried to tell her. "Donatello and Elsa are examining it while you must rest…"
"No!" April tried to rush out of there, only for Yelena to grab her and hold her back, with Splinter and Rockwell attempting the same thing. "No! It's mine! I need it!"
"April, that crystal is poisoning you!" Yelena told her. "It is toxic! Corruptive! You cannot use it anymore!"
"You've used your powers even without the crystal!" Rockwell added. "You do not need it! But, more importantly, the crystal has a sentient being within it! You cannot…!"
Suddenly, all three were telekinetically lifted into the air by April, her eyes glowing a bright white as her hair waved up into the air. She flexed her fingers, causing each of their limbs to twist and turn in methods that were not meant to be.
At the same time, the crystal broke itself from Elsa's ice-trap, she tried to grab it with Donnie holding onto her waist as they were both pulled out of Elsa's ice-tent, shattering it as well as getting the attention of everyone else in the camp, including the other Turtles, Anna, Karai, and Olaf.
Elsa and Donnie were both pulled into Yelena's tent just as the crystal slipped from Elsa's grip and into April's. She held the crystal close to her person as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
"April!" Elsa exclaimed.
"What are you doing!?" Donnie exclaimed as well.
Her only response was to reach out and use her telekinetic powers to constrict both their throats, causing them both to choke as they fell to their knees, while still keeping Splinter, Yelena, and Rockwell suspended in mid-air.
"April, you must hear me!" Splinter tried to reach out to her. "This being wants to control you! Fight it!"
The glow in her eyes faded as she looked toward him with a desperately pleading expression. "Ma… Master… Splinter…! I… I can't… fight her…! She's… too strong…!" Suddenly, ice formed on the ground beneath her before it expanded and encased her in a dome.
"Just hold on… April…!" Elsa said as she tried to use her own powers to contain her, despite the choaking sensation still around her throat. Leo and Anna were the first to enter the tent, followed by Olaf, Mikey, Raph, and Karai; all of them looking in clear shock as they saw Elsa's ice dome explode; the resulting shockwave sending Elsa, Donnie, Splinter, Rockwell, and Yelena flying out from the tent before the whole thing went up with a psychic wave.
A powerful and fluent white aura formed around April's body as the glow in her eyes returned. "April!" Anna tried to call to her, but she had already shot herself into the sky and away from the camp. Once she was gone, Anna and the others quickly tended to their friends.
"Father!" Karai ran to Splinter and helped him up with Anna and Leo running toward Elsa, Raph helped Donnie as Mikey went to Yelena and Olaf also helped Rockwell.
"What the hell just happened?!" Raph questioned. "Since when can April fly?!"
"She's being possessed…" Elsa tried to explain. "There's something inside the crystal and it's controlling her mind!"
"I… I've never felt such a strong presence…" Yelena stuttered. "So much power and… an insatiable desire… for more."
"Insatiable desire for power…? Like a hunger for it!" Olaf exclaimed in realization. "Guys! I think whatever's possessing April is the evil of hunger we're supposed to fight and defeat!"
"How are we supposed to fight something that's possessing our friend, though!?" Anna questioned.
"Maybe we can perform an exorcism or something?" Mikey wondered. "It worked in that one movie!"
"We gotta try and find her!" Donnie stated. "We can get through to her! I know we can!"
"Alright, we'll head out and find April. She can't have gone far." Leo stated.
"I'll send a text to Shini and everyone else to keep an eye out for her. I doubt they'll miss her anyway." Karai said as she took out her T-Phone and sent the aforementioned text.
"You must hurry. Whatever is possessing April is not of this world. And I fear it will not stop until it gets what it wants." Splinter said.
"Go." Rockwell told them. "The rest of us will stay here and continue guarding the village." With that being said, the Turtles, Elsa, Anna, Karai, and Olaf ran as fast as they could out of the camp in the direction that they saw April fly off toward.
In the skies above the forest, powerful storm clouds began to surge and twirl, with the possessed April flying straight toward the eye of the storm. From her height, she turned around and saw the entire Enchanted Forest below.
Through April's voice, the possessing entity gave a laugh. "I'm free! I can feel the power of this world… this forest! So much life… so much energy… I've never felt anything more intoxicating, even among my kin!"
April's eyes turned to normal as she looked around in a frightened state. "Wha… what…?! How did I get up here?! I was at the camp but…!"
The entity took control again. "Now, you are where you were meant to be. Among the stars. I know you can feel it: the power of this world and it's all concentrated here…"
April could indeed feel it, she had felt the power of the Enchanted Forest before but like this… "I… I can feel it… the Spirits… I can hear them and…" She looked in the northern most direction. "There's something else…"
"Yes." The entity spoke. "There is more power across the sea as well. Once we have drained this forest of its energy, we shall take whatever lies there as well. Soon, we shall become stronger than that mortal you fear, stronger than even my kin! This world will provide us everlasting sustenance!"
"No…!" April tried to fight it. "There… there are so many innocent people here! My… my friends…!"
"You don't need them anymore." The entity stated. "I am all you will ever need. And with this power flowing through us… we'll be akin to a god!" The entity took April's body and flew straight down back toward the forest.
Meanwhile, Bruni scurried along the ground, leaving a trail of fire as he moved as quickly as he could toward a specific destination. He was soon joined by a powerful gust of wind, indicating Gale was proceeding in the same direction. Alongside them was a river, where Neptune had appeared and galloped along the surface. Even the ground shifted with them, meaning Fuji's presence was moving as well.
The group consisting of Kristoff, Sven, Slash, Leatherhead, Mondo Gecko, Metalhead, Pigeon Pete, Shinigami, Mattias, Ryder, and Honeymaren had all met up as they ran in pursuit of the Spirits.
"So, anybody got any ideas why these guys are acting up?" Slash questioned.
"We've never seen the spirits this agitated before." Honeymaren said. "We were warry of them in the beginning, but once Elsa and the Turtles arrived, they were able to calm down."
"Except that time when we…" Ryder's eyes widened in shock as Kristoff and everyone else seemed to catch on, with the Mutanimals looking confused.
"When you what?" Mondo asked.
"When we messed around with April's crystal." Kristoff finished.
"Last time it created some kind of giant rock-Kaiju that took all of us and the Earth spirit to bring down." Shinigami recalled.
"Yeah, that was so freaking cool!" Casey recalled.
"If by 'cool' you mean downright terrifying, then yeah. It was 'cool'." Honeymaren gave a glare in Casey's direction.
"I don't think it's the same thing this time around." Sven stated. "Feels different, feels worse even."
"Worse?" Mattias questioned. "What could be worse than that monstrosity?!"
Suddenly, the Spirits ahead of them came to a stop, forcing the heroes to stop as well as they all looked upward. Bruni and Neptune snarled at what they saw, with the winds and the ground shifting even more, indicating they weren't pleased with this foreign presence. But the humans and mutants present looked even more shocked than they had ever been.
"Whoa… April?!" Casey exclaimed upon seeing the possessed redhead hover closer toward the ground. She glanced at each of them first before setting her sights on the spirits with a sinister smile.
"She can fly too?!" Pigeon Pete exclaimed.
"That is no longer April." Leatherhead could feel it, with Metalhead's weapon-systems activating, indicating he could sense trouble as well.
Suddenly, the possessed April was engulfed in a powerful tornado, curtsey of Gale. But it was quickly blasted away by a powerful psychic wave of the possessed girl. Bruni scurried around her to create a ring of fire that tried to surround her, but she simply waved her right to pick up the flames and bring them together in the form of a fireball, while using her left hand to telekinetically lift Bruni himself. Neptune sprang forward to attack from the river, but the possessed April threw the fireball at Neptune, causing its body to evaporate before tossing Bruni into the river to extinguish his own flames.
The ground shook more before two massive stone hands emerged to grab and bind the possessed April. But the stones quickly began to crack and break apart before they exploded under her psychic power. This however gave Neptune a chance to recover as it shot itself into April and changed its form to encompass her in a water sphere; but it too was blasted away by her powers. Bruni shot itself at April, flames bursting around him as he took the form of a javelin of flames, but the possessed girl rose a psychic barrier to block the attack just as another tornado was about to touch down on her, but she reached out to grab the tornado with her powers and send it burrowing into the ground like a drill, deep to where she felt the presence of Fuji to damage the it; while also binding Bruni and attempting to drown him in a river, while raising its flames to evaporate the body of water where Neptune was.
However, she stopped when Sven ran up to tackle April; forcing her to release her grip on the Spirits as the mutants and humans surrounded. "April! What in the world is happening to you?!" Before a response could be given, Sven's arms twisted via her psychic powers, forcing him to release her before she hovered above them all and spoke.
"There is no April O'Neil. Only Za-Naron."
"Za… what?" Ryder questioned.
"Who or what is Za-Naron?" Mattias questioned.
"I haven't the slightest." Slash replied.
"Dude, you talking crazy right here." Mondo commented.
However, Kristoff was able to take a guess himself. "You're an Aeon, aren't you?"
"Indeed. But I am not simply an Aeon" Za-Naron confirmed. "I am the soul of an elder, one of the first seven who founded our race. After a hundred millennia, our physical forms had disintegrated. So, our spirits were each placed into the Sol Star to exist forever. I have been transplanting my mind into the consciousness of this mortal. But never had I anticipated there was a world with an equal amount of power as our home Xaava-Dal. This forest is so rich with life and power, yet it is squandered. I intend to correct this."
"I have no idea what's happening here!" Mattias stated.
"April is being possessed by something else." Sven summed up.
"I remember Karai telling me about these Aeons." Shinigami recalled. "Aren't they supposed to be some type of space-angels or something?"
"They were until…" Kristoff's eyes widened once again with realization. "Until the Black Hole weapon was hidden on their planet. It corrupted all the Aeons who lived there and if that Sol Star had the souls of Aeons inside it…"
"Then it would seem those ancient Aeons have also been corrupted." Leatherhead deduced.
"The Heart of Darkness was a powerful weapon that consumed all." Za-Naron said. "It existed only to destroy, but I am not the same. I will take the power of this world and use it to safeguard and guide all life here. I will lead this world to perfection, cleansing all corruption."
"Yep, that thing definitely sounds corrupted." Slash deduced as he drew his mace, with everyone else taking their weapons out.
"Listen up you alien scumbag." Casey told her. "Get out of our friend right now, or we'll beat you out! We've kicked Aeon butt before!"
Za-Naron grabbed Casey telekinetically and lifted him into the air. "Those Aeons you have faced were mere infants compared to an elder such as myself. My power far exceeded theirs!" She threw Casey through several trees before he came to a stop at the sixth one.
"Take her down!" Mattias attempted to rush her with his shield, but she easily blasted him back with her powers. Leatherhead tried to tackle her from behind, but she was easily able to lift even him with her powers before throwing him over her and sending him tackling into Honeymaren and Ryder. He would have hit Shinigami as well, but she had dispersed into a flock of bats before appearing behind the possessed April.
"Maybe you should take a load off." She produced her pendulum and swung it slowly in an attempt to hypnotize the being. But Za-Naron easily deflected the attempt before blowing Shinigami away with her powers.
"Childish tricks." Za-Naron spat in disgust as Slash tried to slam his mace into her from the side, while Metalhead also shot a pair of rocket fists from the other side. But she simply flew higher and allowed Metalhead's rocket fists to slam into Slash and knock him back before she grabbed Metalhead in her telekinetic grip and pried off his arms and legs before dropping his remains onto the ground.
Pigeon Pete had successful managed to fly and grab Za-Naron, bringing her closer to the ground. "I'll hold her down, Mondo! Give it to her!"
"You got it!" Mondo scatted directly toward her at high speeds and prepared a punch. "Cowabunga!" But Za-Naron blasted herself free with a psychic wave to knock both of them back.
"April!" Kristoff tried to reach her. "You have to snap out of this! This isn't you!"
Her eyes flickered as it seemed April was still in there. "Kristoff I… I can't…!" She held her head as she screamed in pain before Za-Naron took hold of her again and lifted Kristoff into the air with her powers, focusing a crushing force around his throat as she attempted to choke him.
Before she could continue however, a powerful blizzard blasted her toward a tree before a thick layer of ice formed around her body to pin her down, courtesey of Elsa, who had just arrived with the Turtles, Anna, Karai, and Olaf.
"Kristoff!" Anna was the first to run toward him and help him up as the others did the same for their friends.
"April is being possessed by a corrupted Aeon!" Kristoff exclaimed to his friends. "Way stronger than the ones we fought before!"
"Oh no!" Olaf gasped in horror.
"Those demon-bat dudes?! I thought we were done with them!" Mikey stated. Suddenly, Za-Naron escaped from Elsa's imprisonment to blast her and everyone else away, all save for Donnie as he moved closer toward her.
"April! It's me! Donatello!" He tried to plead with her.
This seemed to reach her slightly. "Do… Donnie…?" However, Za-Naron was quick to try and take control again.
"Listen to me…" Donnie walked closer, confident he could reach her. "Give me the crystal… just give me the crystal and everything will be okay…"
"No!" Za-Naron grabbed Donnie in her psychic grip and pulled him up into the air, much to the shock of his recovering friends.
"Donnie!" Leo exclaimed as most of them all watched helplessly from the ground as they continued to ascend to a point where none of them could reach. All except one.
"This isn't you, April!" Donnie continued to plead. "That crystal is changing you! You need to break free!"
She tried to resist as much as he could, but it was too much for her. "She's…. she's too strong! I can't control it anymore!"
"You can do it! I know you can!" Donnie exclaimed.
"No… I can't… Donnie…. I'm sorry…"
"April… please…"
Once more, Za-Naron took control and tried to end Donatello right then and there. She would tear him down on a molecular level. However… a powerful blast of ice intercepted the attack as it was torn apart in Donnie's place, creating a brief smokescreen that allowed Elsa, who had grown her ice-wings, to fly up to the shocked Za-Naron, generate a large fist made of ice in her right hand, and use it to punch her and send her flying away quite the distance. This caused the telekinetic grip on Donnie to vanish, sending him plummeting to the ground.
Fortunately, Elsa flew in and was able to catch Donnie before coming back down to the ground and setting him down with the rest of their friends.
"Donnie! Dude!" Everyone all shouted as they were relieved to see he was alright.
"Everyone, you need to get some distance." Elsa told them with a serious expression. "I'll handle that Aeon."
"Wait Elsa…! By yourself?!" Anna protested.
"What about April?!" Mikey also questioned.
"I can handle it. I'm the only one who can probably match that monster." Elsa explained. "And I promise, I'm going to save April. I'll bring her back, but I can't afford to hold myself back against it. I'm sorry… but I promise… we'll both come back at the end of this." She flew towards the sky.
"Elsa!" Leo tried to call to her, but she was already out of earshot.
The ice-queen flew straight up into the clouds and looked around for her intended target. She then felt the ominous presence as Za-Naron slowly hovered toward her and both stared each other down.
"Well, isn't this interesting." Za-Naron commented. "A mortal believes she actually match me."
"April, if you're in there, I need you to listen." Elsa began. "I promise, I'm going to save you. I won't let you hurt anyone and we'll both go home. As for you, creature." She spoke to Za-Naron directly. "You have one chance. Get out of my friend and leave this world. Do it, and no harm will come to you. Otherwise, I'll force you out myself. You do not want to challenge me." She warned as both her hands surged with cyan-colored magic.
'This one is strong.' Za-Naron looked intrigued before replying. "I do not compromise with mortals. Whatever power you think you have; I am far above it. Far above you. I will consume this world and all she purified!"
'An insatiable hunger only for power. Looks like we've found one of the evils after all.' Elsa thought to herself before staring down her adversary. "So be it."
A powerful blizzard began to generate around Elsa as she readied her magic. It was so strong that the clouds around her began to freeze, the water droplets in them freezing solid. In response, Za-Naron's aura glowed brighter and surged with raw power as both hovering opponents glared at the other, silently daring the other to make the first move.
It ended up being both of them as they shot at each other with such intense speed and force that once they clashed, it created a powerful shockwave that blew away all the clouds, revealing a clear sky as streaks of cyan blue clashed with white ones; something that all the heroes below could see and look with worry and concern; particularly Leo, Anna, and Donnie.
Elsa and Za-Naron grappled with each other as they spiraled through the sky before Elsa kicked her off and sent her tumbling. Not giving her a chance to recover, Elsa generated a large cluster of ice-blades and sent them flying in Za-Naron's direction, who only raised her hand to halt their advance in midair before disassembling them and reassembling them in the form of spikes around Elsa from all directions, clenching her hand as she sent all the spikes at Elsa. However, Elsa created an ice-sphere around her to block the attack before breaking it apart and sending a wave of her magic at Za-Naron, which she shot downward to avoid, allowing Elsa to fly at her at top-speeds and tackle her.
They wrestled and continued to spiral through the air before Za-Naron unleashed a psychic blast to knock Elsa away before blasting her further away, but Elsa broke apart her ice-wings and allowed her body to fall before regenerating them again and flying straight up from below, generating a pair of ice-katanas in her hands to slice at Za-Naron. However, the elder Aeon telekinetically pulled out April's tanto to block the slices, using her fingers to dance the blade around her and block Elsa's rapid attacks without even holding the blade herself. Elsa tried to fly around and find an opening, but Za-Naron also telekinetically controlled April's tessen for the same effect.
Realizing she couldn't get close like this, Elsa changed tactics as she used one sword to block and parry the strikes from the tanto and tessen, while focusing her magic on her other katana to break it apart in and reform it into a series of tiny ice-shurikens, which she sent towards Za-Naron, slicing at her face slightly and catching her off guard. However, before Elsa could press further, Za-Naron grabbed Elsa herself with her powers before sending her plummeting straight down toward the ground, almost as if the gravity around Elsa had doubled, possibly even tripled.
However, Elsa wasn't done yet. With Za-Naron focused on her, Elsa re-directed her magic back on the ice-shurikens she threw, remaking them into a small group of ice-birds that flew all around Za-Naron, distracting her and releasing her grip from Elsa. Once she regained her flight ability, Elsa shot into the reforming clouds just as Za-Naron grabbed the ice-birds with her own powers and crushed them. She looked around and couldn't find any sign of her opponent.
"Where is she…?" The corrupted Aeon wondered aloud as the clouds reformed all around her. "Show yourself, mortal!" She called out. She would get a response as Elsa flew down from the clouds and slammed a punch across her face, knocking her off balance before flying into the clouds again. Just as Za-Naron recovered, Elsa blasted her in the back with her magic, freezing it and forcing her to turn around, leaving her open for Elsa to come in from another angle and smack her on her right side before vanishing into the clouds. She repeated the process several times, blasting and striking Za-Naron at such speeds that it seemed like she was coming in from all directions, and Za-Naron couldn't even track her. You don't hang around a group of ninjas for a couple of years without picking up a few stealth-tricks of our own.
"Enough!" Za-Naron shouted, unleashing a powerful psychic blast that blew away all the clouds, exposing Elsa before Za-Naron shot at her at super speeds. Elsa tried desperately to create an ice-shield, but Za-Naron easily shattered through it before grabbing Elsa and sending them both plummeting back toward the forest. Realizing the impact could kill them both, Elsa generated a large plum of snow on the ground just before they impacted. The snow cushioned the impact only slightly but still caused a crater that had Elsa and her shattered wings lying in the center.
She was then picked up telekinetically by the glaring Za-Naron before slamming her back onto the ground, and then into a nearby tree, then a large rock and dragged across the ground before being sent into another tree. Za-Naron was ready to crush her right then and there.
However, a chain suddenly wrapped around her as Mikey appeared to bind her arms with his extended nunchuck with Raph leaping in with a bearhug. However, Za-Naron blasted them both away with her powers. She then found herself face-to-face with Leo, Kristoff, Sven, Karai, and Casey; each of them had their weapons drawn but looks of uncertainty on their faces.
"April… don't make us do this." Casey tried to tell her.
"Your friend is gone, as will be the rest of you." Za-Naron unleashed a blast as the heroes went on the attack.
Elsa struggled to pull herself up before she heard her sister call to her. "Elsa!" Anna ran up and helped her to stand with Olaf and Donnie as well.
"Are you okay?" Olaf asked as well.
"I'll live…" Elsa grunted as they saw the one-sided battle against Za-Naron. Despite their friends best efforts, it looked like they couldn't beat her.
"She's too strong." Donnie muttered. "How… how can we beat something like that…"
An idea came to Elsa's mind. "By giving her what she wants." She stood up straight. "Do you guys trust me?"
"Elsa, what are you…?" Anna asked.
"Do you trust me?!" Elsa interrupted.
Though hesitant at first, Anna gave an affirmative nod. "I trust you, Elsa."
"So do I." Olaf said without a hint of hesitation.
"You have a plan?" Donnie hopped.
"I do." Elsa stepped toward the battle.
Raph, Mikey, and Casey were sent crashing along the ground. Sven tried to rush Za-Naron, but she shot a powerful psychic wave that blasted even him back. Kristoff sliced his sword toward her, which she was able to avoid, but this appeared to be his intention as Leo and Karai dropped down with their respective swords. However, Za-Naron caught them and flung them over her and into Kristoff to knock them down as well.
"Hey!" Elsa called out as Za-Naron gave the Queen of Arendelle her full and undivided attention.
"You wish to do battle again, mortal?"
"No. I surrender." Elsa said, surprising everyone present, even Za-Naron.
"What?!" Raph, Karai, and Kristoff all exclaimed.
"Elsa what are you…?!" Leo also tried to protest, but she continued.
"I can't beat you, there's no way around it." Elsa spoke directly to Za-Naron. "So instead, I want to make an offer."
"I do not bargain with mortals." Za-Naron glared.
"Oh, I think you'll be interested in what I have to offer. If you release April… you can have me instead." Elsa offered.
Pretty much everyone gasped at that, looking more shocked than anyone, especially Leo. Even Olaf and Anna were shocked, despite trusting Elsa, this was something they couldn't expect. Even Za-Naron raised an eyebrow in curiosity as Elsa continued.
"You've seen how strong I am. I was able to hold my own against you in single combat. You hunger for power? Well you're looking at arguably the strongest mortal in this world, and that power is yours for the taking."
"And you are willing to offer yourself as a vessel for me?" Za-Naron asked. "You're willing to forsake your own life and will."
"I'll do anything to keep my friends and family safe." Elsa replied, her eyes showing how serious she was with that declaration. "All I ask, is that when you leave April, you spare her and all sentient beings in this forest."
Za-Naron thought for a moment before she gave an answer with a sinister smile. "I accept your bargain."
"Elsa! No! You can't…!" Leo tried to get up, but Elsa simply raised her hand and gave him a smile with a wink before facing Za-Naron directly.
"I'm ready when you are."
With a smile, the crystal pulled itself away from April, causing the girl to fall back as the evil presence left her. She would have fallen over had Donnie not rushed and caught her. The crystal, and the entity inside, then reached Elsa as the string tied around her neck and the power surged throughout her body.
A powerful aura manifested around her form as her eyes glowed a bright white, her own hair becoming loose and flowing as Za-Naron took possession.
"Yes…" The corrupted elder Aeon spoke through its new host. "The power… The absolute power!" With a flash of bright white and cyan light, waves and sparkles of psychic energy and magic shot out in all directions as the vessel hovered in the air. "She was right, there is no mortal who possesses power like this! And now it is mine!"
"What has she done…?" Karai looked in visible horror along with everyone else. Za-Naron possessing April was bad enough, but now a possessed Elsa?! Saying this went from bad to worse would be an understatement.
"Wait… She… she has a plan. I know it." Anna said, even though her faith in her older sister was unshakable, this was still quite terrifying for her.
"All shall tremble before me! This world will be mine! It's power is…" Za-Naron's rant came to a halt as something inside felt strange. "Is… what… what is…?" She looked toward her hand to see frost forming on it. "What…? What are... UGH!" Her arms closed around her body as frost continued to form all across her form, much to everyone's surprise.
Within the mindscape, Elsa appeared to hover in what seemed to be outer space, as she looked with a confident smirk towards the true form of Za-Naron, a corrupted Aeon that looked almost exactly like the others she encountered before: black skin, demonic wings and claws, a bat-like face with fangs and glowing blue eyes. Yet, this entity also appeared to be freezing as it's limbs continued to be frosted over, with the ice only spreading.
"What have you done?!" Za-Naron exclaimed to Elsa. "What have you done to me?!"
"You think know this power?" Elsa explained calmly. "Let me tell you something about it, as it's been a part of me for my entire life. I thought it was a curse, and it is if you let it be. Just like the Heart of Darkness, it can be all-consuming, unless you have the heart for it. Love is what helps control it; and something like you only knows hunger. Sorry."
"You… you deceived me!" Za-Naron screamed as the ice continued to spread.
"It's a ninja thing." Elsa's smirk only grew.
Back in reality, with Za-Naron weakened, Elsa was able to regain control of her body as she wrenched the crystal from around her neck and threw it to the ground with enough force to shatter it. The second it broke, trails of white and blue mist shot into the sky before it took the solid shape of the true and corrupted form of Za-Naron. More than half of her body was already frozen solid from her legs and arms to her stomach; her wings and upper chest, neck, and head remained in-tact, but not for long as the ice spread at a much faster rate.
"No! This cannot be!" She ranted as she tried to scrape the ice off her body, but most of her was already frozen solid and she would be consumed at any moment. "I was meant to wield the power of the universe! I was to be god!" She shot a glare towards the recovering Elsa. "I shall destroy you!"
Za-Naron shot at her; even if she died here, she would take the Ice Queen with her. However, April suddenly appeared in front of her, tanto in hand…
*SLASH!*
With a slice from her tanto at the neck, Za-Naron's head was removed from her body just as it and the rest of her became frozen solid from the inside out. It impacted the ground and shattered completely before all the remaining psychic energy exploded in one final flash before vanishing forever.
The heroes all recovered and pulled themselves up as they saw April hold her head slightly, while remaining on the ground.
"April… is… is that you?" Donnie asked.
"It's me…" She confirmed. April tried to pull herself up, but found a hand offered to her. Glancing up, April found the hand belonged to Elsa as she looked toward the girl with a smile. April accepted the hand and was helped to her feet before she wrapped her arms around the older woman in a surprise hug, which Elsa didn't hesitate to return. Anna and Olaf were the first to join in the embrace, followed by Leo, Kristoff, Sven, Donnie, Mikey, even Raph, Casey and Karai followed next.
While making their way back to the campsite, the heroes were pleased to see the spirits had recovered from their battle. April had expected some hostility from them, only to be surprised as they seemed to harbor no ill will toward her, which she and everyone else were grateful for. Once they made it back to camp, where most of the Mutanimals and their other allies all rested and recovered, April sat in a large tent with the Turtles, Karai, Splinter, Casey, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Sven, Olaf, and Yelena all gathered around her while Rockwell used his own psychic powers to scan both April's mind as well as Elsa's before stopping.
"So, everything's okay, Doc?" Leo asked.
"Indeed. I can confirm that the entity has been completely expunged from both April and Elsa. There is not a trace if it left." Rockwell confirmed.
"That's a relief." Anna breathed a lot easier now.
"Guys I… I'm so sorry…" April was almost reduced to tears. "You… you tried to warn me about that damn crystal but…" She was cut off as Olaf immediately ran and gave her a hug.
"It's okay… it's okay…" The little snowman consoled.
"It wasn't your fault." Donnie said to April. "That corrupted Aeon was messing with your mind."
"But… I hurt you guys… I never wanted to…" She stuttered, but Elsa put a hand on her shoulder. She said nothing, but the look in her eyes said it was alright. Out of everyone here, Elsa knew exactly what she was feeling right now.
"You destroyed a monster that would have consumed this entire forest." Yelena told the girl. "We owe you a debt, April O'Neil."
"We are all impressed and proud of you, April. You literally destroyed your demon." Splinter told her.
"But… it wasn't just me." She replied as she glanced at Elsa again. "If you hadn't… done what you did… I… I don't know…"
"April, let me tell you something." Elsa began. "I know how it feels to be helpless and wanting to make yourself better, stronger, someone that the people you love can depend on. And we've both become stronger in our own way… but just because we're stronger doesn't mean we still can't ask for help. Even the strongest need a shoulder to lean on. I had my sister, then the rest of my friends, and you. And it's the same for you, you have us, you have me. No matter what, whatever troubles we face in the future, we'll face it together. You're not alone. None of us are."
April said nothing but gave an emotional smile as she hugged Elsa, who returned the embrace with one as well. Everyone smiled at the moment as the pair broke up.
"What about your powers?" Kristoff asked. "Didn't they come from the crystal?"
"And if the thing's shattered does that mean…?" Sven also asked.
"No, those powers were always a part of me." April replied as she stood up. "The crystal only enhanced them. I can't harness the power of the Aeons anymore but… I think I know how to control my powers better and… they might be a bit stronger than before too."
She raised her hand, putting everyone on alert as she telekinetically summoned her tanto to her hand. "So at least some good came out of this." She said with a confident smile
"Hey guys, you know what this means?" Mikey said to everyone in an excited tone. "We just took down one of the big three evils! Only two left to go dudes!"
Even though that was true, and it was worth acknowledging, none of them preset felt like celebrating as they all knew what at least one of them was. And they were not eager to face him again.
Ahtohallan, a frozen and magical river that laid between two mountains. For years it had been undisturbed, that is until the last patch of the Dark Sea that had separated it from the mainland was blasted apart by a wave of black ice, exposing the ocean floor and fully clearing the path for the monster that was formerly known as Oroku Saki to step forward. The second his feet touched the ice, it turned from white to black, and each step closer only helped to spread the blackness across the frozen ground.
Right behind their master; Tiger Claw, Rahzar, Fishface, Bebop, Rocksteady, and Stockman-Fly had also arrived as they looked around at the new and magical land they found.
"Whoa…" Bebop looked around. "That's a lot of ice, dog…"
"Dah. Is big place." Rocksteady agreed.
Rahzar sniffed the air alongside Tiger Claw. "You can smell it too?" Bradford asked his companion.
"Yes." Tiger Claw confirmed. "The same scent of magic, just as it was for the forest. Only much stronger. This is undoubtedly the source of magic in the area, possibly this entire world."
"Here I was expecting some kind of emerald palace, or a giant white citadel, a tower or heavenly gates." Fishface commented. "But it just seems like a bunch of ice."
"Thizzz place." Stockman-Fly buzzed around in excitement. "What a dizzzcovery! I can't wat to begin zzzztudying it! I must take a zzzample! I muzzzt…"
His musings were cut off as the Super Shredder grabbed him by the throat. "You will do nothing!" He threw him back toward his subordinates before speaking to them. "All of you will wait out here. I must venture deeper into this place. Alone."
That took them by surprise. "Master Shredder… we do not know what lies in there. We can provide assistance…" Tiger Claw offered.
"Do not question me!" Super Shredder exclaimed. "This is meant for me, alone! You will remain out here and await my return."
Though reluctant, the Foot mutants bowed in response. "As you command, Master."
With that said, Super Shredder proceeded to march deeper into Ahtohallan. The more he trekked along the frozen and snowy ground, the more blackened footprints he left behind with each step, and the black ice only slowly spread from each footprint. He walked toward a massive wall of ice that seemed built like a fortress before spotting a small opening. It seemed a bit too small for him to enter, but he simply made it bigger with a swing of his fists and muscles. Contact from his body to the walls turned what he touched from white to black as it continued to spread the deeper that he ventured inside.
Once again, he heard the woman's voice in his head again. "Show yourself!" He demanded as he walked deeper inside, proceeding down a small incline, and the black ice spreading even further. "It was you who called me to this place! I can sense great power here! Give it to me!" Again, he heard the exact same song, only much louder than before; and rather than it be in his head, it echoed along they icy walls.
"I know you are here!" Super Shredder continued to call out as he walked out of the tunnel and into a more open space, one much darker than before. "Give me your power! I have sacrificed everything to get here! I will not be denied my destiny any longer!"
Almost in response to his demand, the voice called again as a series of bright colors illuminated along the icy walls, revealing another path, which Super Shredder didn't hesitate to follow. At the end of this tunnel, he found a massive gap that separated him from his destination before pressing his foot down to create a bridge of black ice, which only spread the corruption even further as he proceed downward.
"I tire of these games and riddles! These parlor tricks that you continue to plague me with!" Super Shredder exclaimed as he heard the voice again upon reaching the other end. Down another tunnel, he found his pathway blocked by a series of ice-pillars. But rather than simply move them aside with his own powers, he smashed his way through, shattering each pillar with every swing of his mutated fists and spreading the black ice even deeper into Ahtohallan.
However, it was not just his own corrupted power that spread throughout the magical place, he seemed unable to notice the ice around his body spreading even deeper into him. Even if he did notice, he didn't care as his objective was right in front of him and he would not be denied.
"Show yourself!" He called out again. "I will not ask again!" He spotted a perfectly diamond-shaped gateway that only had a thin layer of ice separating him from the other side. It was easily smashed through as he entered a darkened chamber, with nothing else to see but the sparkles that gave another song before shooting straight up and illuminating the entire chamber with a multitude of images.
It almost seemed like he was in a dome of televisions that showed several moments he recognized throughout his life. All his battles, all the people he interacted with, every moment from his donning of the Kuro Kabuto and reform of the Foot clan, his travel to New York and alliance of the Kraang, the moments he raised the young Karai, and even before all that; his time fighting for the Hamato clan he once considered himself a member of, his time with Hamato Yoshi before their falling out. It was then he realized, this was his entire life he was seeing. Before he could even speak a response to this…
The image of someone he recognized in an instant revealed itself along multiple images. It was the appearance of a young woman with a smiling face. The woman his heart once longed for and would never forget.
"Tang Shen…"
Done.
So, good news, the heroes have vanquished the evil of hunger; now only the evils of deception and hate remain. Let me tell you, I had a lot of fun writing the battle between April and Za-Nuraan; I mean this is Elsa we're talking about, so it makes sense she could put up a fight. But, even with how powerful she was, and the tricks she's picked up working and fighting alongside the Turtles, she could only do so much against an ancient space entity like an Aeon.
The heroes ultimately defeated the creature not with their physical power, but their wits. Elsa tricked Za-Nuraan into consuming more power than she could stomach (like Elsa said, she didn't have the capacity to love and couldn't control the power that ultimately consumed her), allowing April to finish it off.
But bad news, Shredder has made his way to Ahtohallan and seems to be corrupting it with his presence alone. (Kinda like a more twisted version of Elsa's arrival to Ahtohallan in the canon movie) And he also seems the find the source of the song that he and Elsa have been hearing. But why is he seeing Tang Shen? The answer to that will be revealed in time.
The heroes better enjoy their victory, for none of them are prepared for what will happen next. I have a few special surprises in store. Until then, stay safe and stay healthy out there. Love you guys.