Now that the Tribunal had the second artifact, the turtles were really hoping they could go home soon. That they wouldn't have to fight this great evil.
….
As the night wore on, storm clouds began to gather, and an eclipse started. The Mystics had reached another one of their staying areas and they were preparing themselves for battle and the resurrection.
After some final preparations, they set off for the Tribunal monastery. They had to get there before the two Shishos and their acolytes that were on the ship.
….
The ship was still flying through the sky as the storm clouds were moving in.
"I'm king of the world!" Mikey shouted. He was standing at the front of the ship. Tora was behind him.
Some lightning flashed, scaring him and he jumped back, landing on Tora. "At least there's no icebergs up here, right, Tora?" Mikey asked the Chinese man.
Tora was a hard individual to impress, to make laugh. "I pray I never learn to understand you, Mikey-san." Then he dropped him, Mikey grunting in the process.
As Mikey stood up again, he knew Randall seemed like a much better person to be around at this point. At least Randall had a sense of humor, even around him.
Up at the steering wheel, Hisomi was teaching Don and Adam how to steer the ship's rudder using their chis instead of just driving it the usual way. The rudder moved in different directions.
"Coolest ship ever!" Don complimented. This was so cool learning to drive this ship. He was impressed by a lot of the Tribunal's magical skills and technology, of ancient times even.
On the back of the ship, Raph and Joy were just waiting to get back to see what happened next, but Raph had an idea. "So, Joy, when all this blows over, if you ever find yourself in New York, look us up." he suggested.
Joy turned to him, "I plan on it. But let's save the world first, okay, tough guy?" she smiled at him.
Raph had found himself having a crush on the blonde haired woman. She seemed to be into him too.
"And I was just wondering, I've heard about a special friend you have back home. Who is this friend named Randall?" she asked next.
"He's a lizard monster from another dimension. He was banished and he's joined our family. He's like another brother. He just wasn't with us when we were shanghaied. But he came out with us on patrols a lot. And he has a temper that matches mine. I had a strong dislike for him at first, but now, I know I can trust him in a crisis. If you come to New York, you can meet him. He can also blend into his surroundings too." Raph explained about Randall.
"Sounds awesome." Joy replied.
Leo and Faraji were down in the main hanger with Chikara.
"The evil one's heralds will not let our victory go unanswered." Chikara stated.
"But, Chikara-Shisho, with the Shredder's artifacts secure, haven't we stopped his resurrection in its tracks?" Leo asked her.
"We have won a battle, Leonardo, but only when all the artifacts are entombed within the monastery will I feel an iota of relief." Chikara stated.
Hisomi directed Don and Adam to finish getting the ship back to the monastery.
They all were greeted by Kon. At least, that's who they thought he was.
They all headed into the Lap of the Gods house. Inside, Juto, Splinter, and the Ancient One were waiting for them.
"I had a terrible vision, Chikara." Kon said. "I saw that the beginning of the end is upon us."
Hisomi carried the guantlet.
Leo went over beside his father. He asked in a low voice, "Master Splinter, what's going on?"
"The omens have turned against us, my son, despite your hard work and hard won efforts." Splinter replied.
"The five Mystic warriors come to the monastery. They approach even now!" Kon exclaimed. "The heralds of the Shredder!"
Everyone gasped.
"We must take drastic measures if we are to survive." Kon said, taking the guantlet from Hisomi. "Hisomi, lead the acolytes to the third artifact. They will be our last line of defense."
Chikara knew it wasn't right for that secret to be revealed. "The sarcophagus?! Kon, the location of that artifact is our most closely guarded secret. Better to make our stand here."
"Chikara, I have seen the future! Secrets will not help us now. Time is of the essence. You must trust me on this." Kon decreed.
Chikara was already getting edgy about this situation. "Acolytes, steel yourselves. And prepare." she ordered them.
The acolytes were all concerned about what was going on. They had just won the second artifact back. They hoped there was nothing to worry about. Hisomi began to lead them to the third artifact as he had been ordered.
They soon were all running down some stairs after Hisomi, Splinter and the Ancient One too. When they reached the bottom and went to stand on a circle marking in the floor. Hisomi made his hands glow and he touched a line on the floor, making it light up, and the floor began to descend downward.
Chikara followed Kon and Juto down a hallway. "These actions seem rash, Kon. I do not understand why the acolytes must know the location of the evil one's sarcophagus." she told Kon. "If the heralds realize the acolytes have this knowledge, their lives are forfeit! We agreed that the location of the crypt would die with the Tribunal!"
"Yes, we would not have it any other way." Kon replied. He and Juto led her into the far back room, where she gasped.
There on the walls were the real Kon and Juto! Splinter and the Ancient One laid on the ground, tied in chains! The three humans were all covered in bad bruises, almost looking like they were dead. Splinter feigned it too.
Chikara began backing up.
Juto managed to wake up and see her. "Chi- Chikara! Run!" he ordered.
The fake Kon and Juto smiled evilly at her.
Chikara tried to strike out magically at them. They floated into the air.
"It's too late for that!" the Fire Mystic stated as he revealed himself, along with the windy one.
"No! No! It cannot be! The heralds of the Shredder!" she exclaimed in fear.
"Yes, we have come! You see before you now, the beginning of the end! The end, of everything!" the Fire one proclaimed. Then he started shooting his flames at her.
…
The shaft went down to what looked like a volcano below the Earth.
"Whoa! If the Tribunal ever got strapped for cash, you could make boku bucks charging admission for this ride!" Mikey declared. He might have had a point, but that was far from the point at this moment.
The fake Splinter and Ancient One looked at each other, knowing they were going to find out the location of their master's body.
When the shaft landed, Hisomi began leading them toward the falling lava. He told them to hold up with his hand, and he took out his metal tessons. He went to divide the lava. He created a passage for the acolytes.
That was amazing! The acolytes went under and into a different area. It looked colder in here.
Mikey observed his surroundings. "Wow. From scorching hot to the freeze zone. Hope we don't catch a cold."
"Yeah, Mikey. That's the real concern here." Raph retorted.
Hisomi pointed to the coffin on its own special alter.
"This must be the place." Don stated.
Fake Splinter and Ancient One agreed silently.
"I don't need Hisomi to tell me that. The hair on the back of my neck is standing up! And I don't even have hair." Raph declared. He was just as nervous, only he didn't want to let on.
Then, there was a noise, and a burst of Earth came under their feet, knocking them all over. Leo looked over at the two other senseis. "Master Splinter, Ancient One, are you alright?" he asked.
The two fake senseis were looking fine. Then they started laughing maniacally. They began spinning and changing shapes. They changed into the Earth Mystic and Water Mystic.
"It's the Shredder's heralds!" Raphael exclaimed. He took out the Banrai. The other acolytes took out their weapons too.
"Yes." The Earth one said. "So generous of you to lead us straight to our master's sarcophagus!"
"What have you done with Master Splinter and the Ancient One?!" Leo demanded.
"You will meet them soon enough, now that we have all that we need!" the Earth one exclaimed.
The Metal Mystic also joined them.
Thunder and lightning boomed outside.
Chikara was badly injured now as she too, was also restrained on the wall. The Fire one did her restraints.
He went back down to the Windy one. "Do you feel it, brother? The third artifact is ours." the Windy one stated.
"Yes, I sense it too. We now have all the pieces we need to resurrect our master! And with these fools finished, let us join our brothers in victory!" the Fire one decreed.
The two flew away to go find the artifacts and their three other brothers.
Unknown to them, Splinter wasn't dead. He opened his eyes angrily. He began to wiggle and to get out of the chains so he and the others could try to stop the heralds. He knew his sons and their friends would offer a good fight and hoped they would win.
The Fire and Wind Mystics joined their brothers around the coffin.
"Finally." The Earth one said, "The age of the Tribunal is at an end!"
Hisomi and the acolytes ran forward to try to stop them.
"For Oruku Saki, the one true Shredder, will rise again!" The Fire Mystic proclaimed.
Hisomi was the last Shisho to try to stop them. He got in front of the coffin, tessons at the ready.
"Remember your training, Acolytes! It all comes down to this!" Leo reminded the others.
The Earth one put his powers to use by building a large wall that blocked the acolytes from helping Hisomi.
The Earth one, and the Wind and Fire ones all struck out at Hisomi and in the end, he was injured too. He stumbled a bit and finally fell over.
Raph used his chi powers to blow the wall aside. "Hisomi-san!" he cried out.
The turtles and their human friends all struck out at the Mystics. They got a few hits in, magical ones. But the Mystics still outwitted them. They floated in the air above them.
"Impressive. The reptiles have learned much since we last met." The Fire one said. "But it will not matter." Then he summoned two creatures in the water behind them.
One jumped on the land. It was huge with four legs, two clawed hands, wild white hair and a big horn on its nose. The second one was more like a serpent, with a frill on its neck.
"What the shell are those?" Raph demanded.
"Sojo: Spawn of Black Waters; and Bacul: Devower of Dreams! Heed your master: leave nothing breathing!" The Fire one ordered.
The monsters went to attack the acolytes. They dodged their first blows.
"We can do this! Stay focused and we can take them!" Leo exclaimed.
"Remember, true strength comes from within, and nothing can stop-" Faraji began, but was cut off from a strike from the Bacul.
"Faraji! We're coming!" the others called out to him.
Faraji took two more blows across the cavern before coming to a landing, incredibly injured. The other acolytes tried hard to get to him. They too encountered the powers of the Bacul and Sojo.
Leo was the one that got the Bacul distracted enough for him to reach Faraji to see how he was. He saw he was in bad shape.
"Faraji!" He moved to him. The African man cried out in pain when he tried to move. "Save your strength, Faraji. I'm gonna get you out of here." Leo said.
"Leo, my time here… is at an end… Ow!" He put a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Gunshin is yours. It was always… meant for you, Leo. I was just holding it." Faraji said with his last words.
Leo took the Gunshin. "I will honor you with it, Faraji." he declared. Now it was up to him to stop those monsters and the heralds.
…..
In the room above, Splinter and the Ancient One had freed the Tribunal.
"The enemy has discovered the third artifact, their master's sarcophagus!" Chikara explained what happened.
"If they escape with all three artifacts, the world is doomed." Juto stated.
"Then we must stop them! Come!" Splinter was helping to support Kon. They all ran to try to get to the acolytes before it was too late for them all.
Down in the cavern, Don and Raph called on their chis again to take on the Sojo.
The Sojo did a hissing sound and it began sucking in the two turtles' energies.
"You hit high! I'll hit-" Raph tried to tell Don what they needed to do, but their energy was gone, making them fall to the ground. Then he smashed them both into the ground, hard.
"Get up! Get up!" Joy ran to their sides.
"We've wasted enough time here. Finish them." The Fire one ordered.
The Sojo pulled a piece of cave spikes off a rock, ready to do the job. Don and Raph had managed to get up again. They were alright.
Then, out of nowhere, a blue flame of light blasted into the Sojo. It knocked him down.
Leo created a portal of magic and fired. "By the Dragon's fire, burn demon!" he yelled.
His flame struck the Sojo, and it vanished into thin air.
"Now that's bein' a turtle!" Raph exclaimed proudly.
"Gunshin? But what happened to Faraji?" Don asked worriedly.
Raph and Joy looked down at Don. Then the remaining monster, the Bacul, picked up Joy in its tail.
"Joy, no!" Raph cried out.
"Raphael! Avenge me!" Joy called out.
Raphael used his chi again and used his Banrai. "That's it, you slimy serpent!" He sliced the sharp cones off the cave's ceiling. They went crashing down onto the Bacul, killing it.
"That one was for you, Joy. I won't forget ya." Raph said sadly.
"It is time!" The Fire Mystic stated. He and his brothers started a ceremony, making the helmet and guantlet appear on the coffin. "We have all that we need. Our master will rule once again!"
The Earth one stayed on the ground while the other four floated high into the air. He made the coffin begin to rise from its resting spot using the rocks.
Don was beside the spot. "Not today! Not ever!" He spun and used his magic to stop the rocks. They crumbled and the coffin started falling back down.
The last two humans, Adam and Torra, jumped onto the coffin and got the helmet and guantlet before the coffin hit the ground again.
Then Mikey flew into the air and used his powers. "Inezuma, do your thing!" he shouted.
The Inezuma's powers hit each Mystic and landed them all in the water.
"We did it!" Adam said proudly. He had the helmet and he threw it to Mikey.
Mikey caught it. "Awesome! We got back all three artifacts and the goonballs are out of commission." he declared.
"Yes, but for how long?" Torra asked.
That was a good question.
Mikey gasped when he saw Hisomi. "Master! We have to get Hisomi back to the monastery, he needs help!" he said. He tried to turn him over. He was heavy. He tried to pick him up again.
Then, a whip structure came out of nowhere. "Leave him be! His time is done!" Juto ordered. "You have fought well, but the fight is far from over."
"But Hisomi, Joy, Faraji." Mikey said sadly. "They're all-"
"All we can do now is honor their courage, by stopping the return of Oruku Saki. I am sorry." Splinter stated.
"And the first step along that path is to destroy the Shredder's heralds!" Chikara exclaimed angrily.
The heralds then arose from the water, angrier than ever.
"Oh no! Look!" Torra said.
The three remaining Tribunal members started making a fireball formation, intent on finishing the heralds.
"Make haste! Take the artifacts far from this place! Hide them! Leave the heralds to us!" Chikara ordered the acolytes. The students were all worried about what would happen to their Shishos. "Go, NOW!" she ordered again.
The heralds were getting closer. The Tribunal's power was growing more.
"Join your master!" Kon yelled angrily.
The acolytes finally began running out of the cavern. It was now up to them to keep the Shredder from returning. They got through the lava fall with some chi power, and they got on the shaft and it began taking them upward.
The ball of energy finally exploded from the Tribunal. And they could only guess at what happened, and the outcome wasn't good, they knew.
They all made it to the top and then ran for the lead house, the Lap of the Gods. They were going to hide the artifacts possibly in there or further, but they didn't expect to see what they saw in there. They came to a halt.
"No! The heralds!" Leo exclaimed.
"But how?" Don stated.
"You have underestimated our powers." The Water one said.
"And, for that mistake, your lives will end here!" The Fire one said angrily.
"But if these guys are up here, then that means-" Leo stated.
"The Ninja Tribunal is no more." The Water one added.
"The artifacts! Now!" The Fire one ordered.
The Metal one made the next attack charge at the acolytes. He made his choice to attack Torra.
The Water one also took the moment to engulf Master Splinter and the Ancient One in balls of water.
"Torra!" Adam exclaimed. He and Don went to try to help Torra after Adam had to put the coffin down. He had carried it up.
The Earth one used some ground arms to grab Leo. Raph tried to take him on. The Earth one tried to smash Raph's head in, but he dodged it the first two times, but a third time, he got him in the chest. Then he grabbed the coffin and charged at Mikey, who was back by a wall. Mikey dodged and the Earth one slammed into the wall.
The crash had consequences. A crack appeared in the wall and went up the wall to the ceiling. Debris started falling from the ceiling.
"Look out!" Don cried out. He jumped over to save Adam from a piece of rock, only to have another even bigger one come down on him, trying to save Don.
"I can't hold it! Go! Go!" Adam ordered the purple masked turtle. Don tried to help him, but he kicked Don in the stomach, forcing him back and the rock crushed him.
"No!" Don cried out.
Then, the last of their human friends was forced down, onto his back by the Metal herald just a few feet away. Torra tried real hard to block the Metal one's strikes. He did good on most of them, but at one point, he made a final blow, making the man cry out in pain.
"Torra!" Mikey cried out. He put the helmet he was holding down and he used his chi to sneak over and get Torra just before the Wind herald could try to blow him away.
Mikey got Torra away from the Metal herald and moved over beside Don. "Torra, you're gonna be okay." he said sadly. Don only knew how Mikey felt right now.
Torra looked up at him, and then he laughed. "Mikey-san, you finally made me laugh." His amulet was showing his energy was weakening. Then, he died.
Don and Mikey cringed in grief.
"Such a pity. What a waste of power." The Fire herald mocked from above. The heralds all had the Shredder's artifacts now. "Simply to delay the inevitable."
The five heralds then put the coffin in the middle of them and summoned a silent spell. It freed Leo and Splinter and the Ancient One from their entrapments. Splinter and the Ancient One had been able to conserve their energy to at least save themselves.
"From the ashes of your cursed Ninja Tribunal, our dread Lord, Shredder will rise again!" The Fire herald exclaimed, and the spell started a blast of pink lines to go all over the monastery, everywhere around them. The forge, the turtles' sleeping quarters, the lava area down below, everywhere.
Splinter and the Ancient One rejoined the four turtles and the ground beneath their feet began to shake and the piece of flooring they stood on rose out of the ground. Lava surrounded the piece as the rest of the Tribunal's monastery was engulfed and destroyed in the lava!
The family all looked up angrily as the Fire herald laughed evilly, and he started to open a portal while his brothers held the coffin. Once the portal was opened wide enough, his brothers carried the portal through it. The Fire one was the one that lingered a moment longer. "On behalf of the great one, we thank you." he said, holding the helmet in front of him, then he too went into the portal.
The portal started to close.
"No! It can't all have been for nothing!" Leo exclaimed. "I won't let it be!" He yelled angrily and his chi marks appeared and he made the Gunshin fire at the portal, to keep it open. "I will never stop fighting!" he yelled angrily, then ordered his family, "Hurry! I don't know how long I can keep this thing open!"
His family hurriedly went and jumped through the portal first before he followed. It closed directly after him. The monastery was left in burning ruins.
They didn't know where they were going, but they were going to make sure they were going to stop the heralds if they had anything to say about it!
When the portal opened up to release them to wherever the heralds had taken them, they found that they had landed in a back alley. It definitely wasn't the softest landing. The only who was braced for the landing was the Ancient One. He landed in a kneeling position.
When they all stood up to regain their senses, they took a look around the corner to see where they were. What they saw was… shocking and amazing at the same time.
It was Times Square!
"We're home." Don said.
"Master Splinter, I can't believe it. Faraji and the others, the Ninja Tribunal, all gone." Leo declared.
"They have made the ultimate sacrifice. We cannot let it be in vain." Splinter replied.
"What about the heralds?" Raph demanded. "Why the shell would they come here to New York City?"
"I do not know, Raphael. But, I do know what their victory today means. It means that the end of the world begins… here." Splinter said regrettably.
A storm brewed in the clouds above them. They went above to see if there were any sign of the heralds and they were nowhere to be seen. For now, they would go home and take a break. They could only go on fighting for so long before they would be too worn down to fight anymore.
They went to another alley and found a manhole cover and went in that way to the sewers. If there was one thing they all missed despite their duty, it was the sewers and their lair.
Even though the Ninja Tribunal was presumed destroyed, the Ancient One still had his own personal home in Japan, but he had made up his mind to stay here with his family and to help guide his adopted great-grandsons, and to help them in any way possible to defeat the Shredder, at any cost.
The turtles, Splinter, and the Ancient One soon made it to Central Park and their lair. They found the power was off, even though the water naturally kept flowing through it. Don hit the power switch.
"It feels so good to be home." Mikey breathed a sigh of relief. "It's almost like it never happened."
"But it did happen." Leo stated.
Everyone was in a state of grief. Being home gave them a little comfort now that they were back in familiar grounds. And they would go see their friends soon to let them know they were back. But first, after two major battles in the last couple days and right before coming back home, it was time for some rest.
They all checked on things in the lair first to see that they were still working, and that nothing had been stolen while they were gone.
The lair looked nice and clean and organized. No doubt April, Casey, and Randall must have been looking out for the place.
Mikey checked the TV. The big screen picture box was heaven to him. "It's been so long since I last watched it. It's like an old friend come back to me." He hugged the TV.
"We can understand that." Don smiled.
"It has been a long night, my sons. Turn the TV off, Michelangelo. It is time to get some rest." Splinter ordered. "We will decide what to do tomorrow. We can only wait and see what happens next. And yes, I agree, it is good to be home."
Mikey reluctantly turned the TV off.
Don checked on his lab before he too went to his room to get some sleep.
It had all been one elaborate nightmare after what had happened back in Japan. They all would make sure to make the heralds and even the Shredder pay for what had been done to their Shishos and friends.
I'm just glad they're all back home now.