CHAPTER 12: IN DARK COLD WATERS.

Julie tried to run towards Leo, but cold, dark hands wrapped her and tried to pull her down. She tried to set free, but she couldn't make it, the hands were too strong. They pulled her violently down in the ice cold water. The last thing she saw was Leo that desperately shouted her name.

The arms held her tighter and it was difficult to move. The coldness stung her like knifes. She couldn't breath good either. In the end, she closed her eyes and fainted, while the hands dragged her deeper and deeper down.

Julie opened her eyes. Where was she? She looked around. She was still in the water and could breath. Her hands and legs were still tied up, but this time to black ropes. There was a blue barrier around her and everything was dark around her.

"LEO! Leo! Where are you? Can you hear me?" She shouted.

"It's useless to scream, he won't hear you anyway!" Kokkai laughed, coming out of the shadows and in the barrier.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?"

"I'm Kokkai, the black magician of the water! You'll never get out of here, because thanks to the fragments´ power, I'm stronger and can control this waters! And it's pointless for you to struggle, these ropes will suck the energy out of your body every time you try to set free!" He laughed evilly.

"Leo will come and save me and will take back the fragment!"

"Hahaha! Are you so sure about that?" He swam to her and touched her forehead. An ice blue light spread over hear head and she screamed in pain.

"What did you do to me?" She said breathing heavily.

"I just read your mind…I saw that you love Leo very much…but he will never get here, he won't save you!" She struggled and electric shocks spread over her body, sucking her energy. He looked at Julie and continued talking:

"Why are you together with that turtle? Couldn't you fall in love with a normal teenage boy? After all, Leonardo will only make you suffer! You will never be able to be together for real! You'll never have a normal relationship or a family!"

"STOP IT!" She shouted, struggling with the ropes again. She screamed in pain, but she talked anyway:

"I don't care! I love Leo, we'll always be together! I know that it will be difficult, but it doesn't matter if we still are together, united by our love!" She felt weaker, but she had to be strong until Leo arrived.

"But it's like throwing your future away to nothing! He will never give you anything that a human boy can!"

"He can! He already does things for me and gives me so much more than a boyfriend in my age never will do and give me!" Kokkai laughed.

"As you wish...Leo won't reach you. You'll DIE!"

"NO!" She got a very powerful electric shock. She had no strength left now, Julie couldn't do it anymore.

"Leo will come for me! I…I trust him!" Her chi medallion started glowing brightly and blinded Kokkai. He screamed, covering his face. The light became a delicate light ball. With her last strength, Julie told it:

"Reach Leo and show him where I am…" Leo crossed the barrier and floated away. Yes, she had faith him. Julie knew he would have saved her. She closed her eyes and fainted.

Leo swam in the water. He had to find Julie as soon as possible. He kept on swimming, but he couldn't see Julie anywhere, it was like swimming in circles. After some minutes, a water like man blocked his way.

"Who are you?" He asked threatening.

"I'm Kokkai, the black magician of water. I suppose you're looking for Julie…"

"WHERE IS SHE?" He shouted furiously, trying to hit him with his katana, but missed him because he moved quickly away.

"She is where you'll never reach her; she'll die before you'll find her!" He laughed vicious and created many black water creatures that attacked the blue banded turtle. He sliced and beat some with his katana. But more creatures were created as soon as he killed some.

"It's pointless fighting like this, more creatures will just come."

"I will never give up! I'll save Julie!" He tried to pass and killed more creatures.

"But why did you fall in love with that girl? Don't you understand that you'll never give her a good future? You're just making her suffer!"

"I know that! I know that I'll never giver he what a human can!" He set himself free from some monsters.

"However…I can't live without her…letting her die…would be like letting a part of me die…" Black ropes wrapped his hands and leg and he tried to set free, but the ropes sucked his energy. He became weaker the more he moved. He soon became tired, and the coldness of the water came over him. But he couldn't give up now! He tried to cut the rope.

"Hahaha! It's pointless! You'll never save her, you can't do anything anymore!"

"SHUT UP! Alright, maybe you're right that our relationship is difficult, but we love each other! As long as we love each other, we'll be able to face anything! Knowing that she is by my side gives me a strength and serenity that you'll never know. It's a power that only the love can give, but you'll never know what it means to love someone with all your heart and soul!" He felt a strength growing inside, all over his body, like a fire. A blue, radiant light came out of his chi medallion and eliminated all the monsters.

"No! It can't be!" Kokkai was hit by the light and disappeared. It was just a hologram. A blue pattern appeared on his body. Julie had to be here somewhere. Suddenly, he saw a light ball floating to him. It stopped in front of him and talked:

"Leonardo! You have to hurry! Julie doesn't have much time left. Follow me, I'll show you where she is!" The ball floated fast away and he followed it. Soon, he saw Julie inside a light blue barrier. She was unconscious and her hands and legs were tied up by those black ropes. The light ball disappeared and Leo heard a vicious laugh behind him. He turned around and saw Kokkai.

"Finally! I thought almost thought you really weren't coming here at all!"

"LET JULIE GO!"

"You'll have to face me before!" He shaped a water sword in his hand and Leo attacked him and they fought against each other with the swords, but Leo couldn't waste any more time. He pushed Kokkai away and concentrated deeply. Two blue fires appeared on his katana and the chi shone more.

"BLUE FIRE OF THE DRAGON!" He shouted and hit Kokkai and a blue light swept over the lake. Kokkai landed exhausted on the bottom of the lake. Leo turned towards the barrier where Julie was and swam to it. His chi was glowing bright as it never had done before.

"It's pointless! She's surely already dead!" Kokkai laughed.

"I beg you Julie! You can't leave me now!" He thought coming closer. The fragment in Kokkai's pocket came out shining brightly, floating towards Leo.

"What the…?" Kokkai said shocked.

Leo was very close. "All I want is being with you!" He broke the barrier and took Julie's hand. In that precise moment, the fragment touched his hand and a white, warm and enormous light swept the lake's waters. Kokkai transported himself away before the light killed him.

The light held Leo and Julie in a warm embrace, while Leo took her in his arms. He had this strange feeling that he was changing…

They came up in the surface. He had finally made it.