Chapter 7 – A Dream and New Powers Arise
"Mummy?" A little girl's voice echoed.
"You can't do this!" A women's voice cried loudly.
The little girl opened the door to her bedroom and looked into the hall. On the back wall beside the entrance to the kitchen was a large shadow that was created from the only source of light that came from the kitchen.
"Mummy? Is that you?" The little girl opened her door wider, allowing herself to be hit with moonlight streaming in through her window.
Standing in the doorway was Riley at age 5. Her black hair hung loosely down her back and her brown eyes were half open and her little body was covered in pink and red spotted pyjamas.
"There has to be another way!" A man's voice called.
"Shhh be quiet, you'll wake them up." Another women's voice replied quietly.
Suddenly two more shadows came into view on the back wall, but still Riley continued her way down the hall. With each step, Riley grew tireder and tireder until she could barely make out the voices.
"…You don't understand…"
"…Then help us understand…."
Riley had finally made it to the kitchen entrance, but it was past her bedtime and she didn't want to get caught so she stayed behind the wall and watched the shadows on the wall next to her.
"…this is not their destiny…"
"…I don't know what to believe anymore…"
"…You have to believe…"
"…I have nothing to believe in anymore…"
"…then believe in me…"
Riley was scared when she heard all the voices, but when she heard that last voice, she stared at the wall and saw the shadow of the figure who belonged to that voice and she instantly felt calmer. Riley slowly fell to the floor and curled into a little ball, slowly falling to sleep.
"…thanks….Ralf…"
"Ralf…" Riley whispered before her eyes dropped and she fell into a deep sleep.
"Ah!" Present day Riley cried as she flew out of bed.
Riley's breath came out staggered and uneven and she had lines of sweat on her brow. She looked around and noticed she was in her room back in her apartment.
'That's the fourth time I've had that dream this week and each time I see more.' She thought miserably.
"What's going on?" Riley groaned as her head dropped into her hands.
Riley looked over at her bedside table and saw that it was 3 in the morning. Her gaze moved to the shellcell next to the clock and a small smile formed on Riley's face as she thought about calling Raph for help. She lifted her hand and moved it to grab her shellcell, but stopped and left it hovering over the device. With a sigh, Riley turned her head and retracted her hand.
'It's not that important to wake him up this early. He wouldn't like it. Besides, who am I to wake him up with a petty problem like this?' Riley thought before she slipped out of bed.
Riley walked over to her French doors and opened them before stepping out into the cool night air. She walked over to the balcony and leaned against the railing. Her gaze fell to the right where a manhole cover in an alley on the street across from her apartment resided. Riley smiled and suddenly gripped the railing tighter.
'I'll give him a call.' Riley decided, but she didn't move a muscle. 'He'll get mad and will lose sleep. He has early morning training in the morning anyway.' But Riley couldn't help but feel pain in her chest at the thought and gripped her t-shirt.
"What's wrong with me?" She asked no one in particular when she thought about her dreams, her thoughts and emotions, and her actions lately. "I just need some time alone, for once."
With that said, Riley walked back inside and started to change into a black leather sleeveless top that stopped below her bodice which had a very high collar that went to her chin, tight black pants that started at her hips and went to her ankles and exposed her stomach. She wore long boots, her gadget belt across her hips, fingerless, long gloves that went to before her elbow and wore a strapped pocket on her thigh and a long pouch on her hips.
Riley walked over to her wardrobe, opened the doors and hit a secret button on the inside. The wall at the back holding her clothes pushed out then started rising to reveal her collection of weapons and gadgets. Riley smirked when she picked up her favourite weapons and played with them for a bit before attaching them on either side of her hips in her belt, and placing her Manrikigusari rolled up securely in her pouch at her thigh. She then held her Shogue and wrapped it up firmly in the pouch at her side.
Without a second thought, Riley closed her wardrobe and leapt out of her balcony before racing aimlessly over rooftops. Soon Riley ended up on the rooftop where she had met Raphael and had her first encounter with Karai and the foot clan.
Riley didn't know how or why she had ended up on this exact rooftop at this moment and particular time in her life, but staring out at the ocean only a few rooftops away from her spot and remembering how she met Raph, brought her some feeling of place and peace.
"What are you doin' 'ere?" A voice asked behind Riley.
Riley jumped with a squeal and turned around to see Raph with a smirk on his face that then quickly turned into a shocked look. It surprised him that Riley hadn't heard him, nor did she pull out her weapons or anything that Riley would usually do. If he was honest, it worried him greatly.
Riley sighed with relief and held a hand over her heart and caught her breath. "What are you trying to do? Give me a heart attack?" She asked
Raph raised an eye ridge before walking over to her and lifting her chin to look him in the eyes. However, when he saw her eyes he couldn't help but let out a small gasp. Riley's eyes looked, well, frightened. Raph let go of her chin and Riley's head fell.
"Riley? What's the matta?" Raph asked quietly, his arms encircling her waist.
"It doesn't matter." She replied before trying to break free from his grasp, but Raph only held tighter.
"I ain't leaving till you tell me." He replied in her ear.
Riley slowly pulled away to look in Raph's eyes with tears threatening to fall.
"You really wanna know?" She asked
"Yes. Babe, please tell me." He replied
Riley nodded and walked over to the edge of the roof, Raph right beside her if anything happened.
"You have to stay away from me, Raph." Riley said, as she looked out over New York City.
"What!" Raph cried, "Why?"
Riley turned to face him with tears running down her face.
"Because I'm dangerous, that's why." Riley replied, her gaze returning to New York. "I can't explain it, but lately weird things have been occurring and with the new inner animal power I control and the powers I will soon earn…you have to stay away so I don't hurt you."
Riley gasped when Raph roughly grabbed her by her shoulders and turned her to face him. She looked into Raph's eyes and saw a little bit of fury, but also love, worry and shock in them.
"Ya' listen and listen good, ya hear?" He hissed
Riley silently nodded her head.
"Good." Raph hissed again before he pulled Riley forward into his chest, his head rested on top of hers and sighed. "You're crazy if ya' think I'm gonna give ya' up. I knew that night at the charity function that if I had gone through those doors, I would be putting up with magical powers and shell knows what else. But ya' know what?" Raph pulled away from Riley, wiped her tears away and smiled. "I ran through those doors anyway. I ran back to you." Riley smiled. "I knew what I was goin' into, Riles. And not once do I regret it. I'm prepared for anything. Bring it on, I say. Let me have it. Why? Because there is notin' I can't handle nor anything I wouldn't do for you."
Riley dropped her head again and smiled. "You're going to make me cry again, Raph." She joked before raising her head again.
Raph chuckled and held her close. "Everything will be okay, Riles. Everything will be all right. I'm never gonna give ya up and I'm never gonna have enough of you. You're kinda stuck with me, baby. Stay my baby, please."
"Well, when you put it like that…" Riley carried off as she kissed Raph tenderly on the lips.
"And don't you dare say anything to the guys." Raph said, breaking the kiss.
"Wouldn't dream of it." Riley replied before kissing Raph passionately.
"Some salami and zucchini and lots of mozzarella! Pizza, pizza, pizza, it's lots and lots of fun! Pizza, pizza, pizza, it's lots and lots of fun, hey!" Lilly sang as she and Mikey cooked pizzas in the lair.
"Hey guys, can you keep it down? We're trying to watch a movie." Kim called from the living room where she, Leo, Donnie and Violet were watching a thriller.
"Sorry!" Mikey and Lilly called back.
"Wow, one day off and you're not wasting a second of it." Violet giggled
"Hey two classes at NYU plus a music career plus princess and warrior training in Rayon take up a lot of time I'll have you know. You already have your degree, I don't. This is my first day off in a while and I would like to enjoy it." Kim replied, looking over at Leo across the couch.
The two had been tense ever since their small argument a few days ago. Kim could understand Leo's feelings, but she refused to give up Rayon. It's what she wanted, what her mother would want.
"Well if you ask me, you're just whining." Riley said as she and Raph walked down the stairs.
"I'd like to see you do what I do everyday. It's quite hard you know." Kim bit back, "What were you guys doing this afternoon?" She asked slyly before she and Violet started laughing.
Riley glared at her sisters and crossed her arms. "Nothing." Was her reply, which only made her sisters, and Leo and Don laugh harder.
"Stop laughing." Riley demanded, but the laughing continued. Blood boiled inside Riley and she couldn't take the mocking. "I said STOP IT!" She screamed before the coffee table that sat between the couples literally blew up.
Donnie and Leo quickly covered Kim and Violet from the shards and everyone stood silent. By this point Lilly, Mikey and Master Splinter walked into the room at the sound and they all stared at Riley.
Riley's eyes were wide and she looked at Kim. "I didn't do it!" She cried at the same time as she extended her arm out.
Seconds after that a massive explosion was heard and there was now a giant hole in the wall beside Donnie's room. Everyone was silent as Riley's eyes were even wider than before and she slowly brought her hands up to her face to examine them.
"Oh my god." Riley whispered before her knees grew weak and she fell into Raph's arms.
"Riles? You okay?" Raph asked, gently shaking her in his arms.
Riley silently nodded her head, clearly in shock. Raph picked up Riley and gently placed her on the couch Kim and Leo vacated for them. Kim quickly sat next to Riley and put her hand on her cheek.
"Sweetie, it's okay, it's okay. Don't panic, it's just a new power. Violet and I felt the same way you do right now. It's okay, it's normal." Kim tried to reassure Riley.
"Normal? Normal!" Riley cried, sitting up. "You call having destructive powers that could kill everyone we know and love normal? This isn't normal! We're not normal! We're only partly human for god sake! I just want a normal life where I wouldn't have to wake up screaming at scary dreams wondering if they're visions or not and be able to hang out with my boyfriend without worrying about the next bad guy who will come and take my powers or wondering if I'll burn him to a crisp or now, thanks to this new power, blow him to smithereens!"
Kim blinked and stayed silent. Everyone did.
"I just want a normal life, to be normal. I want to be like other girls, Kim." Riley sighed
Lilly moved over to Riley and sat next to her as well and engulfed her in a warm hug.
"I know what you mean Riley, really I do." She comforted as she pulled away. "But, don't think of us as 'not normal' and start thinking of us as special. Why? Because we are of a few that know the secret. That there are people who can do great things and there are other worlds and species out there, besides humans. Sure, a normal life would be great too, but, where's the danger? The excitement? You'd get bored with a normal life after a week, because it's the same old boring life where nothing happens. With us, you never know what could happen."
Violet placed a hand on Riley's shoulder and smiled. "Yeah and think of it like this; had it not been for our powers we would still be back in England with mum and dad and never would have learned about the guys and Splinter. Nor would we have met them, therefore we would never have fallen for them and found the loves of our lives." She added
"Yeah, Violet's right. You wouldn't have Raph or Casey or April, and you wouldn't have any of this!" Lilly cried, motioning at the lair, but when she did some furniture flew and made impact with the far walls.
Everyone then stared at Lilly who blinked and grinned. "Huh, never knew I could do that. Anyway back to Riley! Now Riley-"
"Wait. You don't care that you flew furniture all over the lair?" Riley questioned
"No." Lilly answered, a little confused. "It's my definition of normal; weird things occurring. It's what makes my life interesting. Besides, I have telekinesis and it's fun! You can blow stuff up, that's deadly to our enemies and can make up lots of time in fights."
Riley smirked and hugged her sisters. "Thanks you guys."
"No problem, but for now-" Kim started before rushing to the kitchen and returning with oven mitts that she placed over Riley's hands. "-lets keep these on you so, you know, you don't accidently blow someone or something else up."
"Gee, thanks, Kim." Riley replied sarcastically before everyone left to do his or her own thing. "I told you to stay away, but oh no, you didn't listen."
Raph walked up behind Riley and hugged her, nuzzling his beak against her neck, which caused a small moan. "Yes, but if I had I wouldn't get to do this and hear that sound." He said and Riley chuckled. "Besides, we've been through this. If it's you, I'd do anything."
"Alright girls, this is your final battle lesson." Sir Albert announced as he trotted in front of the girls in Rayon's castle gardens. "Today, you will achieve your princess powers and thus earn your warrior powers and then you will be able to be called the princesses of Rayon."
"So, what were we called before?" Lilly asked, which earned a smack over the head from Riley.
Unfortunately for the girls, Lord Renaldo had decided to watch this lesson and stood under the shade of the tree in a lawn chair.
"Now to earn your princess powers, you will have to transform into your family symbol, in this case a dragon." Sir Albert continued, "But not an ordinary dragon, it will be a dragon that signifies your powers and the royal family. To do this, you will need absolute trust in not only yourselves, but your ancestors. It is the combined strength and power of your trust, will, belief and ancestors that will transform you into a mighty dragon."
"Right, so what do we do?" Riley asked
"It is nearly impossible for anyone to transform into their family's symbolic animal for the first time without help. You will need a spell to help transform you into a dragon. However, I'm not going to tell you what the spell is, because it shall be a spell that you will each do to symbolise your family and yourself. It is your dragon after all. But don't be disappointed if you haven't thought of a good spell nor does it work, because it took your mother three different spells to transform. The transformation is different per person, because it takes certain situations for them to awaken their minds and hearts to believe, trust, willpower and strength and belief in their ancestors to transform them."
"That's comforting." Violet said sheepishly.
"Now, you will each have one hour to come up with your spell. You may go wherever you may wish, but you must report back here in one hour, understood?" Sir Albert asked
The girls nodded before they each dashed off in different directions to start work on their spell.
1 hour later
"Alright girls, lets hear them spells." Sir Albert said with a hint of excitement. "Who wants to go first?" He asked
None of the girls raised their hands, so Sir Albert chose Lilly. Lilly groaned and walked forward and closed her eyes.
"Erika, Genevieve, Kathleen, Penelope, Marissa, Amelia, Elenor and Grace; Phoenix ancestors here my plea and stand strong beside me. I ask you to lend me your focus and clarity, to help me to transform into the being I want to be." Lilly chanted, resiting her ancestors' names.
After a minute or two, nothing happened. Lilly got frustrated and tried again.
"Erica, Genevieve, Kathleen, Penelope, Marissa, Amelia, Elenor and Grace; Phoenix ancestors here my plea and stand strong beside me. I ask you to lend me your focus and clarity, to help me to transform into the being I want to be!"
Again, nothing happened. But then suddenly, Violet got an idea, which not only surprised Sir Albert, but made him smile, too.
"Guys, quick, grab Lilly's hands." She told Kim and Riley.
"Why? What's that gonna do?" Riley asked
"Just do it. And chant the spell with Lilly, too." Violet added
Kim and Riley looked at each other before shrugging and walking over to Lilly, Violet and Kim grabbing Lilly's hands and Riley holding onto Kim's hand. They all closed their eyes and focused on their will, their belief, their ancestors, everything they were told to focus on.
"Erica, Genevieve, Kathleen, Penelope, Marissa, Amelia, Elenor and Grace-" Kim started
"Phoenix ancestors here our plea and stand strong beside us." Riley continued
"We ask you to lend us your focus and clarity-" Violet added
"-To help us to transform into the beings we want to be!" Lilly finished
At first, nothing happened, but soon, clouds started gathering over the girls' heads and with a bright flash of light, the girls were engulfed with power, power that slowly transformed them into dragons.
When the light disappeared, Sir Albert couldn't contain the cheers that escaped his lips upon seeing the girls. Riley was now a pure black dragon, Kim was now a green dragon, Violet was a blue dragon, and Lilly was now a white dragon. Suddenly, another smaller light shone on the chest of each of the dragons.
On Lilly's chest laid an orange oval shaped pendant with a diamond on each corner of the oval and three large diamonds on top of the oval. The pendant had two rings on the middle diamond on the top of the oval that had a silver chain running through the rings.
Hanging around Kim's neck was a beautiful sky blue coloured flower pendant. The pendant had 6 petals, each with a diamond on its point and two at the base of each petal. The top petal had a circular hoop connected to the diamond that had a silver chain running through it that tied around Kim's neck.
Violet's pendant was on a silver chain that hung around her neck. But, her pendant was a small butterfly with purple wings and small silver balls on the top of each wing, in between the two sets of wings and on top of the two antennas that had small loops that held the pendant on the chain.
Finally, Riley's pendant was a fiery red coloured love heart. In the top crevice of the heart was a long hoop that had a thin dark silvery chain through it. The hoop had a pattern of small dots and had a curved piece of metal running around the hoop. On the bottom half of the pendant was metal that curved and swirled around the bottom of the heart to form patterns that looked like waves.
Sir Albert watched as each dragon slowly transformed back into the girls who stood quite shocked at what had happened. Sir Albert trotted over to the girls, before dipping his front trotters and bowed low.
"Congratulations, your highnesses." He said, before standing back up to his full height.
Lilly looked over at Violet. "How did you know that spell would work if we all said it?" She asked
Violet smiled. "Albert said we needed help from our ancestors. Mum was an only child when she had to do this. I figured we needed our entire bloodline, meaning all of us included. Lilly would've been able to transform by herself if she was an only child."
Sir Albert chuckled and looked sweetly at Violet. "So young, but so smart. You're as smart as your mother."
Renaldo scoffed from his place under the tree. "I was creating spells when you were in diapers, half-bloods. Don't be so smug." He muttered to himself.
Riley's attention was suddenly brought to her pendant that hung around her neck, which shone against the sunlight. "What are these, Albert?"
"These pendants are what helps you transform into the Princess Warriors. They help you activate your Princess Powers, or to be more precise, your Princepessa Potere. When needed, concentrate on the power within you and these pendants will activate your potere and transform you."
"So, we're real Princesses now? You know, since we have these pendants?" Lilly asked
"Yes. Rayon will now recognise you as fully grown Princesses since you wear your Princepessa Potere Pendant." Albert replied, which earned a scoff from Renaldo.
"Please. To be a ruler of Rayon, you need to live, breath and stand for everything Rayon believes in. These half-bloods have only just discovered our realm, they can't be real princesses." Renaldo stated, standing up from his sun chair, crossing his arms and daring Sir Albert to challenge him.
"You be careful what you say, young one." Sir Albert hissed threateningly, stalking over to Renaldo. "You'd be wise to shut your trap before someone mistakes you for rebelling against the crown."
"Whatever, Ponyboy." Renaldo muttered before he walked off in the direction of the castle.
"Insolent boy!" Sir Albert growled when he was out of earshot.
Renaldo smirked as he walked away. 'He doesn't know the extent of my hatred, nor the extent of my plans against the crown.' He looked back at the princesses with a scowl. 'You four will not rule my kingdom!'