Compromise

Splinter rapped his walking stick on the stones three times, loudly, before entering the audience chamber of the Oracle to make the standard visitor announcement.

"Charon, the Guardian of the Dead, seeks your wisdom. Pythia, will you allow his approach?" he said with stately difference.

Splinter kept a tight rein on his emotions, controlling his face and the pitch of his voice to give nothing away. It wouldn't do to betray his anger at this point. But those who knew him well would have noted the sharp, hard look in his eye and the subtle twitch of his tail.

Those slight signs would have sent his students running for cover. Luckily, no one here had bothered to know him. He was one enslaved petitioner among many, and his sole advantage lay in his tenure here. It gave him some slight power over the pages. He made their schedules and tried to keep them out of trouble. It came in handy today.

When Splinter had seen the messenger from the Underworld waiting the allotted time near the audience chamber he had quickly dismissed the page and taken his place. This was an official audience so he didn't expect to learn much, but Splinter wanted to an eye on these two when they were together. If he could do so legitimately, all the better.

Serra waved an indulgent hand and Splinter turned to Charon with a bow.

"The Pythia bids you approach," he spoke in formal tones, then backed away to stand silently against the wall.

Charon approached Serra calmly with a slight smile on his face; It wasn't really masking his true feelings which seethed just below the surface. He walked to the edge of the dais at the end of the room and bowed quickly.

Serra frowned at the lack of respect but the expression miraculously disappeared as Charon pulled a crystal orb out of his inside pocket.

"Pythia, as requested, here is the first of the items you bid me fetch for you, " Charon said lightly. "It was not easy for this one was incredibly fast and anxious to get away but here it is at last to answer your demands."

Charon wasn't actually sure how Serra was going to get her information since the souls were hardly forthcoming in their speech but that wasn't actually his problem. As long as the soul was intact when he left anything she tried would be fine with him. That had been their compromise.

"Clear the room!"

The Oracle's command was instantly obeyed. Servants, guards and petitioners alike scurried quickly out the door. Splinter frowned but moved to follow. He'd really hoped to learn more before being evicted.

"Rat," Serra called imperiously, "you stay."

Charon raised a brow. He doubted this would be anything Serra wanted others to see.

"I'm going to need a few things, Charon, and unless you want to be running to fetch them the Master of Pages is just the one to keep around, " Serra said.

Splinter inclined his head and resumed his post at the back of the room.

Serra regarded the sphere in Charon's outstretched hand and forced herself not to snatch it away from him. She could not afford to let him know exactly how much these souls meant to her. He was already overbearing enough; the pompous fool.

Inside, though, she was dancing with glee for her current body was aging quickly and the anticipation of finally knowing where the next host was hiding energized her. Serra had rarely stayed in a body after it reached the age of 35, but the decrease in her stable had forced her inhabit this far one longer.

She was hating every minute of it.

Really, she should have seen the problems in her stable years ago but she had grown complacent and the slow decline of females in the bloodline had gone unnoticed for centuries. That was the loophole in her contract with Zeus, for there always was one. He had pledged to maintain the line, he had not guaranteed that there would always be women.

Still, she hadn't been too worried about her future until a freak tidal wave destroyed the women's quarters; taking the last of her in house stable with it. Now she was down to one legitimate heir and finding her was going to be tricky.

She was a wild one. Born outside of Serra's influence to a woman who had only a small percentage of the blood. But she was strong with mental gifts that bore watching even at a young age. It had made her an excellent candidate even before that wretched tidal wave.

The girl's history was vague. The mother died in childbirth and the father was a mystery but she had been thriving in a small fishing village off the coast of Japan. Even though she wasn't a native, one of the locals had taken her in and it looked like the environment was fairly stable. So, Serra had left the girl where she was.

It was unlikely the she would amount to anything in the mortal world. At least nothing that would take her out of that small village by the sea. Besides, Serra had a spy there. One that knew where the girl was at all times, so there had been little risk.

Now Serra cursed herself for not bringing the child in when she had the chance, for when the girl was merely 6 years old she had been spirited away by none other than Luna; highest ranking goddess of busybodies.

Luna had been Serra's nemesis for a long, long time. They had butted heads from the beginning and Luna was always trying to steal away Serra's power and influence over the King of the Gods. That had been merely annoying. A challenging game that Serra allowed because it helped keep her sharp. Now the interfering nincompoop was jeopardizing Serra's future and it was time to put a stop to it.

Luna had hidden the child away and she could literally be anywhere; the Overworld, the Underworld or even on Olympus. None of Serra's spies could find her. That put Serra in a sticky situation.

Eventually, she had been forced to approach her father and inform him of the problem. If Zeus wanted to keep utilizing her foresight among the mortals, than he would have to get Luna to give up the location of the child.

Zeus requested the location of Luna as a favor. When that failed, he cajoled, bribed, and outright commanded the information from her. Each time, Luna refused, saying that if Serra occupied the girl it would change the balance of power among the gods.

In the end, Zeus had banished Luna to the Earth as a mortal for her disobedience. He made her task as difficult as he could, believing she would tire of her punishment and relent.

Serra didn't need foresight to tell him that wouldn't happen but she didn't say anything for getting Luna on the mortal plane was beyond what Serra could have hoped for.

As a mortal, Luna was at Serra's mercy.

Getting Charon to assist in the plan had been as simple as promising him Luna's death. The immortal was obsessed with the celestial goddess and fell prey easily to Serra's experienced manipulation. Once rid of Luna's consciousness, the souls should have been readily acquired.

But something had gone wrong.

Serra frowned again as she stretched out her hand, forcing Charon to place the orb in her palm. He was hiding it from her and since any future touched by the gods was a grey blank she couldn't really tell what it was. It would be revealed soon enough, she decided. Now was the time to focus on her own future and find out where Luna had hidden the missing girl.

A glint of light drew her eye to the sphere in her palm. She had to admit it was a clever device. That Charon had invented it, did not surprise her. After his millennia of ferrying souls across the river Lethe who would know better than he how to contain one?

She shook it lightly, watching the refracted glow.

Orange. Which part would that be? Ah, that's right, innocence.

With a quick twist of her wrist, the Oracle opened the orb and released the soul for questioning. She did not fear it's escape, despite the open room. Part of the magic of the orb was to keep it's contents from fleeing. Only the complete destruction of the sphere would free it.

The small orange tear drop leapt away from Serra at the first opportunity and flew madly about the space. Splinter's eyes widened in surprise. It was not orange like a flame from a candle or blaze but was electric and bright, glowing with a neon effect as it bounced around the room.

Splinter quickly hid his shock. He recognized this little being. He'd met two others and they were bound to his sons. This was a piece of his daughter's soul.

Not only that, but he felt the same vibrations coming from this little one as he did in the presence of his son, Michelangelo. It was innocence personified. And it was terrified. After a hurried sweep around the room it spotted Splinter and ducked behind him, peeking over his shoulder at Charon and the Oracle.

know you.

The whisper was so quiet in Splinter's mind that he almost wasn't sure he had heard it but it had the same feeling as his communications with the goddess.

luna loves you!

This second exclamation startled Splinter but the soul was so happy to find a friend it practically vibrated with giddiness. Splinter was hard pressed to maintain his neutral expression. He did not want to give this little one away.

The Oracle directed a piercing stare at the soul as it quivered behind his shoulder and declared, "Your goddess is dead."

The soul immediately froze and sank to the floor in the most pitiful fashion imaginable.

how?

The tiny voice chimed sadly through the hall for all to hear and Serra smiled malevolently.

"She overreached herself, child," Serra said. "She was defiled and murdered by the very humans she had sworn to protect. Charon was witness to her destruction."

At her gesture, Charon crossed the room and placed his hand upon a blue crystal mounted prominently on a pedestal in the center of the audience chamber. And Splinter felt dread gather heavily in his stomach. He suddenly understood why this meeting was taking place here.

Usually the Oracle used this device to project her visions of the future onto a large white silk curtain for the petitioner to see. Charon would use it to show the hideous death and destruction of the mortal Luna.

It was worse than Splinter had feared. Donatello had told him the course of events but seeing his daughter suffer it first hand was devastating. His eyes filled with tears as her screams echoed throughout the chamber and his anger blazed as Charon smiled.

This demon was responsible for his daughter's torment?

? ? ?

The query echoed through Splinter's mind, distracting him, as the little one tried to establish how much of what Serra claimed was the truth. Splinter bowed his head and closed his eyes in sorrow for what he had to relate. He could not lie to Luna's soul.

I am sorry, little one, this did occur.

There was a flicker of deep gold inside the orange light and true flame emerged for the first time as innocence raged.

NO

It was loud and directed at the whole room. Splinter winced at the tone and volume. He hastened to reassure it.

She lives! Her father, Helios, was able to revive her but you must conceal this from them.

Splinter projected it to the little one with all the mental strength he could muster but he couldn't tell if it was listening to him anymore. It swelled dramatically and burned hotly; suspended in the middle of the room.

"Yes. The humans she so loved betrayed and killed her," Serra continued, "They have changed. They have no honor. There is no reason to protect them any longer. In the name of Zeus and as vengeance for your goddess, tell me where the child is hidden."

Rage that would have matched Raphael's darkest turmoil rolled off the flame in a palpable wave and Splinter flinched away from where it vibrated in the air.

THAT ANSWER IS DIVIDED.

"Divided how?" Serra asked, her eyes narrowing.

Splinter couldn't believe it was answering her. Surely no part of Luna's soul would capitulate to this woman, she was the enemy. He had to stop it.

Luna lives and my sons have nursed her back to health. They will free you. Do not give this woman what she wants.

It was a desperate call in his mind but it was not getting through.

WE ARE FOUR AND EACH HAS A PART.

"Give me your part then and help me convince the others to reveal theirs," Serra said. "If you do, I will guarantee your vengeance and release your power to Helios."

Splinter could no longer keep silent. He leapt toward the flame from the back of the room as it spoke again.

MINE IS THE LAST. IT…

"NO, little one!" he cried out "Do not do this! My daughter lives!"

Anger made the soul flare brighter just as Splinter's paw connected with it's outer edge.

Orange light consumed his vision. Pain cascaded briefly over his form but was replaced quickly with blessed numbness as everything burned away into a light brighter than the sun.

Silence fell and a small dusting of ash drifted to the floor.

Nothing remained where he had been.