Ancient Prophecy.
Hey! Here's another chappy. Hope you enjoy. Angel xxx
Chapter Two:
"I just don't know what his problem is!" Leo fumed at Serena on her roof top as she was trying to set up a particularly complicated spell she was attempting. "I mean one minute he's fine the next he's ready to kill! He won't talk to anyone, he's just . . . just so. . ."
"Stubborn," she said without turning to look at him, "he's not the only one you know. Now will you keep quiet a sec I'm nearly done." She completed the circle and chanted the spell. A few seconds after she'd finished several dots on a map beside her began to glow.
"What are you doing anyway?" Leo asked as he crouched down to look at the map and noticed two of the dots were glowing where they were situated.
"It's a slight variation of a location spell." She explained, "The original ones would simply show you an image of where that person was, like looking through a window. I adjusted the spell a little to work differently and show the location of people on a map."
"Handy," he said genuinely impressed, "so those two dots are us then."
"Yep, the rest are anyone you or I know," she said, "for example, Mikey, Don and Splinter are all in central park, right where your layer would be. There's April in her apartment, Casey's down the road, my aunt's over at her friend's house there," Reni pointed at another dot on the page, "and the reason for deafening me with you tirade is right there."
Raph watched as Angel made out with her latest boyfriend. She didn't know he was there and that was how it would stay. At one time she had wanted to be with him but he had brushed her off saying that it wasn't right and that she deserved so much better than him. It was all true; he knew that, but after Leo had come home with his very own girlfriend, Angel's face had gone through his mind on so many occasions and he wondered what it would have been like. The first time he'd seen her take a boy into her room he'd felt his heart tear in two, he wasn't sure if that had meant he'd loved her or if it was the realisation that he had ruined the only chance of him ever being with someone, anyone. He sighed and sat down with his back against the ledge of the building and looked at the bandages he had started wearing several months ago around his forearms to hide his 'little secret'. Slowly he unwound them and stared at the old and recent scars made by his own hands. Mesmerized he drew out a sai and pressed it against his left arm, then pulled it across just hard enough to leave a trail of blood that trickled down his arm a little. He repeated this several times on both arms until he felt a small amount of relief from the tension built up inside. Slowly Raphael came out of his trance like state and swore at himself for being so weak. He bound up his arms once more to hide the fact that anything was wrong and leapt off of the roof to his bike, and then sped off for April's.
"Looks like he's leaving," Serena commented as they watched the blood red dot move along the map, "He'll come around Leo, you'll see."
"Maybe but . . ." Leo looked at the map and saw that he was heading for April's, "at least he's going to make it for April and Casey's announcement."
"Well if that's not a hint I don't know what is." She teased and laughed at the look he gave her, "Are you sure they're okay with me coming along." She asked as she began packing away her belongings into a shoulder bag.
"You have got to stop doing that!" Leo shook his head and grinned.
"Doing what?" She opened the door to the stairs and hid the bag at the top of them then turned back to him.
"Being so unsure of your self," he said taking her hand, "my brothers already like you and I know April will appreciate another girl in the group to talk to."
"Shall we go then?" she stepped back when he went to pick her up and chanted a quick spell. Leo felt the air shift and shook his head again as she rose gently into the air.
"Show off!" he teased.
"Lead the way hero!" she teased back.
April tapped her fingers on the table as she waited for her friends to arrive. She glanced at the ring on her finger for the millionth time and found the butterflies getting worse in her stomach. They already knew Casey had proposed but what she had to tell them was far harder to tell a bunch of teenagers. But they were family and they would notice sooner or later.
"Maybe I should have asked Splinter to tell them." She muttered to herself.
"Ask Splinter to tell us what April?" Donnie walked over from the spiral staircase looking worried for his friend and was soon followed by Mikey and Splinter.
"Hey April!" Mikey greeted cheerfully.
"Miss O'Neil." Splinter nodded his head.
"I'm fine Donnie," April assured the purple banded turtle who still had that worried look on his face, "and I'll tell you as soon as you're all here, okay?"
"So long as you're okay." Don smiled as April placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. They heard a bike pull up outside and a few minutes later Raph appeared at the fire escape.
"Is that bonehead not even here yet?" Raph asked looking for Casey.
"Not yet, he was picking up a few things from the store." April smiled and Raph moved out of the way for Leo who had just jumped down and eyed Serena as she floated down behind his older brother.
"Wow, cool!" Mikey exclaimed, "You can fly Reni?!"
"Technically is gliding," she replied as Leo helped her through the window, "but yes I can fly."
"That is so cool!"
"Thank you Mikey." she grinned.
"So you're Serena?" April more exclaimed than asked, "I was wondering when Leo would finally bring you over."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss O'Neil; I hope I'm not imposing." Serena smiled pleasantly.
"Don't be silly of course your not," April replied and pulled out a chair for her, "any friend of the boys is a friend of mine. We're all family here. And call me April."
"Thanks." The witch replied as she took the seat offered to her.
"Yo! We all here!" Casey yelled as he appeared at the top of the stairs and held up the bags in his arms to indicate he was fully prepared.
"Yes Casey," April said exasperated, "as usual you're the last one to arrive." The red head rolled her eyes and Raph snickered.
"Make yourself useful Raphie boy and gimme a hand ova here will ya?" Casey growled a little annoyed at his green friend. The turtle walked over toward the kitchen still grinning and once they had got out what they needed and put away what they didn't the pair returned to the gathering.
"So?" Mikey said impatiently and groaned when all April did was look at him, "what's the big news?! Come on I wanna know I can't wait any longer!"
"Well, you all know Casey and I are engaged." She said glancing at her fiancé momentarily, "Well the thing is . . . I mean I, um, thought you guys would want to know that . . . um."
"Come on April spit it out!" Mikey virtually yelled and received a knock on the head from Splinter's cane, "Ow!" Serena stifled a laugh at Mikey's antics.
"Please continue April." Splinter smiled.
"We're gonna be parents!" Casey shouted unable to hold it in any longer.
"And here I thought we were going to break this gently?" April rolled her eyes and realised that no one had said anything, but were all staring at her with shocked expressions. That was until Mikey yelled and hugged her screeching that he was going to be an uncle. This seemed to knock his brothers out of their little trances and they joined their brother. Splinter and Serena settled for a heart felt 'congratulations. Mikey ran over to the stereo and started to flick through the CDs.
"This totally calls for a party!" He said over the noise and placed on a rock album and turned up the volume so loud that Serena went over slapped his hand protectively placed over the volume control and turned it down.
"I'm quite sure I noticed neighbours and we don't want a visit from the police for disturbing the peace at this time of night now do we?" she raised an eyebrow at his pout, "Leo will you stop trying to sneak up on me it doesn't work! I'm a witch you can't, oh!" Leo spun her around and kissed her.
"That's my job!" he chastised her.
"Well maybe I was giving you a night off." She snuggled up to him.
"Oh for . . . will you two get a. . ." Raph was cut off by the window smashing and smoke filling the room.
"Dissipate!" Serena's voice sounded from within the smoke and it disappeared as quickly as it came. Unfortunately for her several arrows were heading straight for her before she even realised it.
"Reni!" Leo tried to push her out of the way but wasn't quick enough, one arrow imbedded itself in her left should whilst another in the back of his right.
"Guys!" Don yelled at their cries and ran over to the couple as Leo grabbed the arrow and yanked it out.
"I'm okay," Leo yelled as don got to him, "Reni?!"
"Other than the fact that I've got an arrow in my shoulder?" she said and her eyes flashed white making the arrow disappear, "I'll be fine," she said more kindly at his hurt look, "although I'm not sure I'll be much help until I can heal this." Leo looked at her confused and on hearing Raph's growl he looked over at the broken window to see foot elite there.
"Okay, Utrom shredders on an iceberg in space, demon shredder's history and Karai stepped down," Mikey pulled out his chucks and followed Raph's lead in manoeuvring himself in front of their family, "so why the shell are the foot still after us?!"
"Don't know don't care." Raph said preparing to attack.
"Something feels wrong." Serena muttered feeling magic nearby.
"Other than the foot elite in April's living room?!" Don asked pulling out his bow.
"I sense a witch nearby," she explained, "or at least someone using magic."
"Do you know where this person is?" Splinter asked preparing to attack. Serena focused for a second and looked up at the ceiling.
"On the roof," she said and raised her hand, "keep close to. . ." she never finished her sentence as the ceiling caved in and she had to concentrate on creating a shield to protect her friends.
"What's going on?!" Casey yelled swiping at the dust with his arms.
"A high level witch!" Serena manoeuvred the spell a little to make sure the elite couldn't get close enough to use their predicament as a moment to attack, ignoring the pain in his shoulder. As the boys looked up into the gaping hole that used to be April's roof a woman stood at the edge of the hole and looked down. Her long black hair blew to one side revealing the foot symbol tattooed onto her arm.
"Wow, Reni and here I though you dressed weird!" Mikey exclaimed at the tight, blood red corset dress the woman wore that had slits cut right up to the top of her thighs, her black and red knee high boots matched her elbow length gauntlets. "Talk about bride of the damned!"
"Name's hex freaks and Tatsu thought you might have your little witch friend with you so sent me," she chuckled, "and as for those pathetic elite, well you beat them and you get the honour of fighting Zuko." She leapt down into the room, "Actually, you probably might just want to surrender now, cause you really don't want to fight my Zuko."
"Demon fire!" Serena threw the attack spell at the witch and blasted her through the wall, "We have to run!"
"She's right." Leo agreed and backed away from the elite towards the stairs wrapping his bandana around the wound in his shoulder.
"What the hell you talkin' about?!" Raph growled.
"They are right my son," Splinter placed a furry hand on Raph's shoulder, "we do not know what this Hex is capable of and it is imperative that we get our friends to safety." Raph glanced at April who was holding her stomach and his own lurched, there was no way he was going to let April or the baby inside of her get hurt, even if he did have to swallow his pride and run.
"Whatever we do guys we gotta do it fast," Casey yelled and pointed to the hole in the wall, "cause uber witch from hell's back." Sure enough Hex was floating directly ahead of the hole outside the building laughing.
"You mortals are pathetic!" She floated through the hole, "It'll take a little more than that to get rid of me honey."
"All of you run," Serena said conjuring a barrier to get them to the tunnel exit she knew was down in the basement then continued before Leo or any of his family could interject, "get out of here, I'll deal with her. My barrier is linked to the building not me so it should keep up whilst I fight."
"No I'm. . ." Leo started.
"You can't fight her!" She snapped, "I can, now go!"
"Come my son, you know she is an accomplished witch!" Splinter, accompanied by Donnie practically dragged Leo across the room to the stairs.
"Really think your barrier will protect them?" Hex asked looking highly amused, she waved a hand and Serena felt the barrier shatter all around her, Hex looked at the elite, "You know what to do!" The elite chased after the fleeing party leaving Hex and Serena alone. "You can't beat me."
"I beg to differ, obliterate!" the entire upper floor was destroyed, but Reni knew it wasn't enough. She couldn't risk the building collapsing on her friends. She muttered a chant and flew into the air and out into the open.
"So typical of a mortal white witch," Hex shook her head as she chanted her own spell, "always so worried about protecting those around her and not enough about saving her own hide." The dark witch threw her spell and it was all Serena could do to hold a barrier up against it. Her barrier wasn't strong enough to stop the second spell though as it came almost instantly after the other. A cry of pain escaped her lips as she fell from the sky and Serena only just saved herself before she became a blood stain on the pavement with a levitation spell.
The turtles and Casey kept April and Splinter between them as they hurried down the stairs toward the basement. However they didn't make it and as they reached the shop several ninja leapt through the window and charged straight at them. Mikey yelped as he blocked an attack and the others leapt into action.
"What happened to Reni's spell?!" Donnie yelled attacking several opponents at once and glanced at a very worried looking Leo.
"Casey!" Leo yelled, "get April and Splinter out of here! Get them to safety no matter what happens!"
"Sure thing Leo!" the human grabbed Aprils arm and yanked her towards the side door glancing once to make sure that Splinter was following them. Once outside they ran as fast at they could before realising that no one was following.
"They are not interested in us," Splinter said solemnly, "we are not their targets."
"What's. . ?" April screamed as she leapt out of the way of a falling Serena, but the teenage girl stopped herself.
"Where are the others?!" Serena asked leaping out of the path of another blast from her opponent.
"Back at the shop," Casey said watching as the two women threw balls of light at each other that exploded on contact, both girls were sporting very nasty looking injuries "there was all these ninja's and Leo said to run."
"Then keep doing it!" She ordered as she threw another spell at the foot witch.
"No stay!" Hex said grinning, "Once I'm, done with your girl here I can have a little fun with the two of you."
"You will not hurt them!" Serena released a spell that engulfed most of the street ahead of her in blue flames and Hex screamed.
"Well that wasn't expected," the witch spat blood out of her mouth, "you have a little more power than I thought girl! This is going to be fun!" Blue flames engulfed her again, but the colour was more intense this time and Hex dropped to the ground.
"Nice goin' Reni!" Casey shouted noticing a flash of green from the alleyway they had come from.
"That wasn't me!" she shouted back dropping to her knees clutching her side that.
"No dear it was me." Serena looked terrified as her aunt stepped out of the shadows and stood between her and Hex. "You will not hurt my niece!" April looked at the older woman and couldn't help thinking how different she was to Serena; she had long white hair tied in a knot at the back of her head and wore a white dress with a loose cotton coat that hung down to the floor. The only similarity the red head could see was the vibrant green eyes that matched Leo's skin. Splinter ran over to Serena and helped her up walking her over to his friends.
"You're not serious old woman I mean ple." Hex was cut of as Isabella released her spell. The older witch knew that she had no hope in stopping the younger permanently, but she certainly had the power to win this battle.
"Leo!" Serena tried to run to him as he was thrown out of an alleyway further ahead and seemed to have difficulty getting up, but was stopped by Casey. A tall, handsome young man stepped out brandishing a sword. He wasn't human, that much was obvious from his shoulder length purple hair and pointed ears all that affected his handsome demeanour were his cruel dark eyes. Suddenly, Mikey and Donnie leapt out of the alley and attacked him in an attempt to protect their brother but the man; she assumed must have been Zuko blocked their attacks and threw them to join Leo.
"I . . .I though I told you to," he coughed up some blood and Donnie placed himself in front of him as Mikey held onto his brother, "to run!"
"I see you are having fun my dear." The swordsman said to Hex with a grin.
"These mortal witches are stronger than most but I'll still win." She stated confidently. The turtles edged their way over to Serena and the others.
"Where is Raphael?" Splinter felt his heart constrict as he searched for any sign of his second youngest.
"They took him!" Mikey all but shrieked, "we tried to get to him but this guy showed up and Leo got hurt and. . . And. . . ." Splinter closed his eyes and made an effort to control his breathing before reopening them.
"We must retreat!" Splinter said becoming more worried when no one protested, "Isabella my friend we must run!"
"She's chanting a spell," Serena told him watching her aunt and feeling the immense power emanating around her, "I don't recognise it but it's powerful. We have to get out of here or we might get caught in the back flow." They all nodded and slowly began to back away from the warrior and the dark witch. Bella began to direct the energy towards her hands and once there was enough she released the ancient spell that landed at Hex's feet. At the same moment Hex released her own effectively sending a bolt of red hot energy straight through the older woman's heart.
"Aunt Bella!" Leo grabbed Serena's waist and held on as tightly as the deep gash in his right arm and shoulder would allow.
"It's no use," he whispered, "we have to go or we all die." Hex's maniacal laugh stopped suddenly and they watched as she looked down at her feet and then to them. She screamed in anguish as she was engulfed in a flash of white light and then was encased in what looked like a block of ice.
"Hex!" Zuko screamed and advanced on the group. Leo pushed Reni out of the way ready to take Zuko's blow himself when something wrapped around Zuko's wrist and stopped him dead in his tracks. That something was a chain and was soon joined by another around his waist and the swordsman yelled out as the chains lifted him into the air and left him hanging there struggling to free himself.
"We are leaving!" Splinter opened the nearest manhole and waited for his friends and family to jump into the safety of the sewers. He glanced at the scene they were leaving behind one last time, lingering on Bella's still form and bowing to the fallen witch who had bought them some precious time. He would worry about who stopped this new Zuko character once he was sure everyone was safely at the lair. Then they would find a way to bring Raphael home.
Wow okay I did not think this was going to be this long when I started this chapter and I hope none of you fell asleep or anything. Please review and thanks for any already received! Angel xxx P.S. I would like to warn you that I am in England and some of our spellings are different so please don't flame me for spellings unless they are drastically wrong, I do use a spell check honest!