A/N: Please read and review?
Inside a tunnel, a casket was resting on top of a chest above a bunch of steps, as the 12 Acolytes, Hisomi and Chikara all fought Nezumi Tengus.
Leo: The Ninja Tribunal calls me Leonardo Splinterson.
Leo stood up with his back to the casket.
And I am honored they have chosen me as one of their acolytes.
He backs away up the steps.
But so far, it's been a lot of work, for very little pay-off.
Two Nezumi Tengus come towards him, as he slashes his swords at them, but misses.
For what seems like an eternity, we've trained with the Ninja Tribunal...
The other Acolytes all stood together with Hisomi and Chikara, around bones and a pond, as more Nezumi Tengus approach them all.
...learning their disciplines, learning to fight with our minds and spirits...
Mikey spins Inazuma around while standing with Tora.
...so we can help prevent the return of a great evil.
Mikey whacks a Nezumi with Inazuma, knocking it away.
Donnie and Adam stand back-to-back, as Nezumis come towards them.
The original... Demon Shredder!
Donnie whacks one away with Byakko, then Adam ran off.
My siblings, even my fellow Acolytes, have all been mastering their lessons.
Faraji, Luis and Joi all stood together, Faraji holding one with Gunshin, while Luis slashes one with his scythe, knocking it away, as Joi whacks another with her staff. Raph and Elisa both land in front of two more, then Raph hits one away with Banrai, while Elisa slashes the other away with Arashi.
And they've all been granted incredible weapons.
Joi and Luis move so they stood back-to-back wit Raph and Elisa, then Joi whacks one with her staff, as Raph jumps away.
Cath and Irene stood together, before two Nezumis came towards them.
I haven't been so lucky.
Cath whacks one away with Kōri, while Irene hits the other with her right kanabō, knocking them away.
Leo stood near the casket and chest, as the two near him get closer.
Of course, I keep hoping that all this will get better.
He turns as a shadow appears behind him, then he sees a third rising up from behind the casket.
But really... that might be hoping for a little too much.
The Nezumi roars and comes out of the shadows.
In the grounds of the Ninja Tribunal's Monastery, Chikara stood with her back to all 12 Acolytes, holding a Kanabō, while watching the sun rise.
"Strength of body, when combined with strength of mind and spirt, can move mountains." she explained.
She turned around to the Acolytes, putting Kanabo on her shoulder.
"Alone however, the body shatters against rock, like a brittle twig." she continued.
"Yeah, but paper beats rock, and rock beats scissors." Mikey said, as Raph and Elisa facepalmed themselves. "Right?"
He put his hand on his chin as Cath rolled her eyes.
"Mikey, this isn't what she means." she sighed.
"Of course, scissors beats paper, and paper beats, uh..." Mikey said, ignoring her, as Chikara approached a boulder, putting her Kanabō down as she did.
She lifted up a large boulder one handed, like it was a feather. She turned around to the Acolytes, who all looked speechless.
"Ah!" they gasped, expect Adam.
"Whoa!" he said, amazed. "Isn't she dreamy."
Donnie turned from him to Chikara.
"Chikara-Shisho?" he questioned.
Chikara threw the boulder up, then when it dived back towards her, she smashed it into a million pieces by chopping it once, leaving everyone speechless.
"Ah!" they yelped, turning slightly, their arms over their faces.
"Sure, dreamy like a Panzer Tank." Donnie said, as they turned back to her.
"More like a Tiger Tank." Cath corrected.
Chikara stood at ease.
"Oh, I don't know." Mikey said. "Give her a shell, add a touch of green, you might have something, Don."
"Michelangelo, son of Splinter!" Chikara roared.
"Busted." Raph said.
"You're in trouble, little bro." Elisa teased.
"Stand?" Chikara demanded.
Mikey got to his feet and slowly approached her nervously.
"Now, strike me with all of your strength." Chikara commanded.
"Um, this is gonna end with me getting my shell kicked, right?" Mikey gulped.
He sent a punch at Chikara, who caught it with her hand and squeezed it tight.
"AH! AYYY!" Mikey yelped, falling to his knees. "AH!"
"The body alone shatters against rock." Chikara explained.
She flicked him away like an ant, causing him to hit the ground on shell, then onto his knees.
"Again?" she commanded.
Mikey turned and rubbed his right forearm.
"Uh..." he muttered.
He turned and glared at Chikara, then he jumped and dived to kick her, but she blocked it with her left hand, then threw him down.
"Oh!" Mikey moaned, hitting the ground on his shell. "Ow!"
His brothers all laughed, while his sisters looked speechless.
"Nice work, Mikey. I think you've got her on the ropes." Donnie joked.
"Okay, how the shell can she be that strong?" Elisa questioned quietly. "She's the thinnest of the Tribunal?"
"You got me." Luis shrugged.
"I have a feeling she's not the friendliest of the group." Cath whispered.
Chikara approached them all, making Leo, Raph and Donnie shut up.
"Stand, Acolytes!" she commanded.
All the Acolytes got up, Donnie helping Mikey up after he did.
"Prepare!" Chikara ordered, holding her arms out.
She punched her fists together, then a bright beam shot over the Acolytes, making them all duck slightly, their arms shielding their eyes. The beam hit a bunch of large boulders and rocks behind them glowed, making them all turn around as they held their weapons. The rocks all began to combine into large stone figures, with bended legs and large bodies.
"These Stone Oni are powerful and near impervious." Chikara explained, as they slowly approached the Acolytes. "To defeat them will take more than mere muscle."
The Stone Oni stopped around the Acolytes, trapping them in almost a complete circle.
"It is time to see if you can use what I have taught you. Focus on your inner strength." Chikara instructed.
"You ready to shatter some mountains, Banrai?" Raph asked, looking at it, before it glowed green.
"I said inner strength!" Chikara said.
She held her right hand out, making all the Acolytes weapons glow green, before they vanished.
"What the shell?" Cath gasped.
"No way?" Luis exclaimed.
"No weapons." Chikara hissed coldly.
Raph looked at his empty hands, before he turned to the Stone Oni.
"You gotta be kidding me?" he said.
The Stone Oni all charged forward, the size of their feet shaking the ground slightly, as the Acolytes all stared at them.
"Oh, man, no weapons? There's always a catch." Raph grumbled.
"This isn't gonna be easy." Cath whimpered.
"And I have a feeling this is gonna hurt us a lot more than them." Irene gulped.
"Fight, warriors!" Chikara commanded.
Adam charged in at the Stone Oni, but he bumped into one so hard, it sent him flying away.
"Whoa!" he yelped.
"Ouch." Cath gulped.
Leo, Raph and Elisa all stared at the Stone Oni, as the others ran off. Leo and Elisa both jumped up as Raph rolled forward past one together, before Leo and Elisa landed near Raph.
One came at Tora from the side, then stomped its right foot down beside him, before he jumped and rolled along its leg slightly. He then jumped up onto its back, then he jumped off it, as it spun around and whacked him with its arm.
"AH!" he yelped. "Oh!"
He hit the ground on his back and rolled onto his chest.
Joi and Luis both stood together, while Raph and Elisa both somersaulted towards them, landing near their friends, as two Stone Oni came towards them all.
"Any ideas?" Joi asked.
"Oh, yeah." Raph said.
"Well, what?" Luis asked.
"It's shell-kicking time." Raph said.
"I knew you were gonna say that." Elisa said.
They both thought hard, powering up their amulets and chi, lighting them both up. They looked up and grinned, then they both dashed away as one tried punch them, but then Raph stopped and grabbed its fist, holding it up, cracking it.
"Coming about, guys!" he called. "Duck!"
He spun around while holding the Stone Oni's fist, making it smash into another as Joi and Luis both ducked, smashing them both to pieces.
"Whoa. That...was wild." Luis said, speechless.
"Uh-huh." Joi agreed.
Raph looked around, seeing another Stone Oni coming towards them, as Elisa got behind it. She then jumped up and kicked it right in the back, smashing it to piece as she went flying through it, before she landed on her feet.
"How'd you like that, bro?" Elisa asked, holding her thumb up.
"Pretty impressive, sis." Raph said.
Mikey stared at one Stone Oni as it came towards him.
"Uh-oh." he gulped.
He skidded to his right as it tried to punch him.
"Okay, I'm focusing, foucsing..." he said, touching the sides of his head, before lowering them, his chi not powered up. "Hi-yah!"
He jumped up and punched the Stone Oni's chest, but he didn't even dent it.
"Ow!" he moaned, turning around, rubbing his fist. "Ugh!"
He stumbled away and fell to his knees.
"But I was focusing." he complained.
Leo back flipped away from a Stone Oni, then wrapped his fists up in wrappings to protect himself, as it came towards him. He jumped to his left as it tried to punch him, then finished wrapping his fists up. He jumped as it tried to punch him again, landing on its right arm, then began to punch it repeatedly as it lifted its arm up and spun around.
"Come on, come on! Break!" he demanded.
Cath and Irene both stood staring at a Stone Oni together as they backed away.
"Any ideas?" Cath asked.
"No, you?" Irene asked.
"Yeah, move!" Cath yelled.
They both dived away as the Stone Oni tried to punch them both, before Cath landed on her feet and turned around to it.
"Consternate." she muttered. "Gotta use your chi."
She closed her eyes to focus, but her amulet didn't light up, then she dived forward to kick the Oni's left arm, but she didn't even dent it.
"OW!" she screamed, before it whacked her away. "OW!"
She hit the ground and rolled over onto her chest, touching her right foot.
"OH! That really hurt!" she moaned.
Irene gasped as she looked at her, distracting her from the task, then ran over to help, before one of the Stone Oni whacked her with its arm, knocking her away.
Donnie jumped as one tried to whack him with his arm, then when he landed, he ducked as it tried to punch him again. He glared at it as his amulet glowed, powering up his chi as he glowed, then he ducked as the Oni tried to whack him again. He jumped up and twirled around, punching its chest hard, smashing a hole right through it, then he landed crouched down behind it. It shattered into pieces as Raph, Luis and Faraji watched from nearby.
"Impressive work, amigo." Luis remarked.
"I-I- Wow." Donnie said, amazed, looking at the pieces as his chi vanished. "I just thought it through and… and… wow!"
Nearby, Leo got thrown to the ground, who back flipped away onto his knees, crouched down, then he growled. A Stone Oni approached him as he glared at it, then gasped as it prepared to punch him.
"Hold!" Chikara roared.
The Oni stopped, as Faraji approached Adam and Mikey.
"The lesson ends!" Chikara said.
Leo got up and turned around, as Cath and Irene both pulled themselves up.
"Raphael, Tora Yoshida, Elisabetta, Luis Martínez, Donatello, Joi Reynard - you have all done well." Chikara remarked, before turning to the others. "The rest of you; your focus and discipline are poor."
Leo, Cath and Irene all approached the others, as Faraji helped Adam sit up.
"You will do well to meditate on your utter failure here." Chikara advised.
She turned around and walked off, as Cath and Leo helped Mikey up.
"Hey, don't I at least get a gold star for good effort?" Mikey asked. "I stayed conscious."
"I don't think so, bro." Cath said.
Adam moaned slightly as Faraji and Irene helped him up.
"How did I do?" Adam asked, as Raph, Elisa and Donnie approached him. "Was Chikara impressed?"
"You did great, Adam." Donnie said, as Joi, Tora and Luis followed Chikara.
"Not as good as us, but great." Elisa said.
"Yeah. Chikara's probably gonna ask you out now." Raph joked.
"Sweet." Adam said.
Leo looked at his wrapped up hands, as Irene approached him.
"You okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine." Leo assured, before he walked off.
Irene turned to him, looking concerned, as the Ancient One sat on a rock looking at them all, unnoticed by any of them.
"Hmm?" he muttered, putting his hand on his chin.
Later that day, at around sunset, Leo, Cath and Mikey were all standing together on a ledge of the Monastery. Mikey kicked a stone away as Cath sighed, when the Ancient One came towards them.
"Ahem." he said, clearing his throat.
The three Turtles turned to him in shock.
"Leonardo, Catharina, Michelangelo, do not let Chikara-Shisho's beauty or lack of yelling deceive you. She is one of the harshest of the shisho." he explained.
The three Turtles bowed their heads.
"Ancient One, I'm not sure the Tribunal is happy with my progress." Leo said, as they lifted their heads up.
"Yeah, Chikara wanted to drop kick me off that mountain." Mikey recalled, doing a kick.
"Easy for you guys to say." Cath sighed. "I still haven't mastered my chi yet unlike the rest of you. I can't light up with markings."
Leo touched her shoulder.
"You'll get it soon." he assured.
"The Ninja Tribunal would not waste their time on students who were not worthy." the Ancient One assured. "You are all doing well. You, Leonardo, they are hardest on, for in you they see much potential. They expect you to rise to their challenge, as do I."
He rubbed his beard.
"Is that why Leo didn't receive a weapon from them?" Cath asked.
"I believe so." the Ancient One said. "And you, Catharina, I believe you're struggling with your chi due to your emotions. You care too much for the people around you."
"Maybe you're not clearing your mind enough Cath, due to being the Doctor you are." Leo said, touching her shoulder.
"Yeah." Mikey agreed. "You always think about our well-being, and it might be distracting you."
Cath looked between them both.
"Maybe you're right." she sighed. "But, I don't think I'll be able to put you guys out of my mind."
"Well, try next time, and see what happens." Leo advised.
"I believe the Tribunal have decided to test you, Catharina, to see how you can handle your emotions out there." the Ancient One said. "I think you should listen to your brothers."
The three Turtles bowed their heads.
"Thank you, Ancient One." Leo said.
"Thank you." Cath said.
"Yeah." Mikey said, as the Ancient One turned to walk off. "I wish you were training us instead of the Tribunal."
The Ancient One stopped.
"And who do you think trained me, Michelangelo?" he asked, before he walked off.
The three Turtles looked amongst themselves, slightly shocked by that.
That night, in a red forest, with a redden sky and moon, Splinter ran out from the treeline, before he approached a leafless tree, where his six children all lay near, unmoving. He stopped near them all, looking terrified and upset.
"No! Not again!" he cried, looking at their bodies. "Not again!"
He fell to his knees, as the Demon-Shredder rode towards him on his horse, which neighed, getting his attention. He turned right to a bunch of trees, as Demon-Shredder laughed and rode through them, holding his trident over himself.
"NOOO!" Splinter cried.
(Reality)
Splinter shot up in his family's bedroom, seeing his children all asleep.
"NO!" he cried, sweat pouring off him. "Night after night, the same vision."
He touched his nose.
"Master Yoshi, please, tell me how to protect my children from this coming darkness?" he begged, opening his eyes as he wept.
The next morning, all 12 Acolytes were training on the mountainside with Hisomi. He ran ahead of them all along a path which ran along the mountain, as the Acolytes followed in pairs, first Leo and Faraji, then Cath and Irene, Mikey and Tora, Raph and Joi, Elisa and Luis, and Donnie and Adam. They all ran up a small part of the path that went upwards, then down it, then the six Acolytes in the lead began to gain on each other.
"Chasing Hisomi isn't exactly boosting my morale. I'm getting tired of failing." Leo said.
"Ah, my friend, so am I." Faraji said.
"What are you talking about, Faraji?" Leo asked, confused. "You're doing great. You were given one of the fangs of the dragon. You're the most skilled warrior here."
They all began to run past a large boulder over two pillar-like objects.
"Ah, but I am not. I failed Chikara-Shisho's lesson, as I am failing Hisomi-Shisho's right now." Faraji said.
They all kept running along, as Cath and Irene turned to each other.
"You still having trouble with your chi?" Irene asked.
"Yeah." Cath said. "Leo and the Ancient One thinks it's because I'm too emotional when trying to concentrate."
"Well, that's stupid!" Irene said. "You have to show emotion when your friends and family's in danger."
"I know. I just don't think I'll master my chi at all." Cath said.
"If you try your brother's advice and it works for you, I'll be surprise." Irene said.
At the back, Donnie and Adam were talking about a new vehicle Donnie was deciding to build back in the lair.
"You're kidding?" Adam said. "You're gonna put missiles in it? That's great!"
"Oh, I know." Donnie said. "It'll have armor plating, a communication center, and be fully remote accessible."
"Man, that's awesome." Adam remarked, impressed. "You could make the trunk pop open and have a rocket engine back there. You should call it…Turtle Taxi."
"Good idea." Donnie agreed.
He looked forward as they both followed the others.
"Um, we're not going to catch Hisomi today, are we?" Donnie guessed.
"I don't see that happening." Adam said.
"Man, this isn't my kind of a run." Luis complained.
"I know what you mean." Elisa agreed. "I just hope I don't get sore feet by the end of this run. Having that won't help me during my exercises and kick moves."
"Ha. I know what you mean." Luis said. "I don't see what the point of this test is."
"On that, we can agree on." Elisa said.
Hismoi turned past part of a rock mound as Leo and Faraji chased him, before Mikey and Tora pushed past them, having past Cath and Irene.
"Move it or lose it, slowpokes!" Mikey said.
Leo and Faraji chased after them, with Cath and Irene right behind them, and Raph and Joi right behind them.
"How does he do it? Okay, Tora, you and me. We're gonna figure this out and we're gonna catch him." Mikey said.
"Perhaps if you ran as fast as you talk, you would do better." Tora suggested.
"No, we just have to remember what Hisomi said about stealth and movement – well, what he mimed about them anyway. See it happen, picture myself there..." Mikey said, as his amulet glowed. "...and Chikara said, if I focus my chi..."
His body lit up brightly with his lines, before he dashed off away, his feet kicking dust up from the ground.
"Woohoo!" he whooped.
Tora ran forward before the dust settled, making him stop.
"Michelangelo?" he called.
Hisomi was now far ahead of the Acolytes, running along the path, now in a sharp turned area. He turned right along it, then turned left, before he turned his head right, and saw Mikey coming up beside him. Mikey shrugged his shoulders. making Hisomi smile proudly, before he dashed off, before Mikey chuckled and sped up after him. Hisomi turned right as Mikey came up beside him, both moving like blurs, then looked at each other before Hisomi smiled proudly.
Far behind them, the others all tagged along, Raph holding his right hand over his forehead, trying to see them both in the distance.
"I am never gonna hear the end of this." he said.
"Oh, just great." Elisa said sarcastically. "This is another thing he can brag about to us all!"
They all ran along the path, hoping to catch up to Hisomi and Mikey.
Later, the 12 Acolytes were in the courtyard of the Monastery with Kon, all sitting in meditation poses around him in a circle. (Elisa and Luis sat between Raph and Tora, while Cath and Irene sat between Adam and Leo)
"While you walk on this Earth, your spirt walks in another world." he explained. "What you see with your eyes is only one plane of existence."
He began to float up above the ground.
"What you feel with your heart and chi, that is the world of spirt." he continued, holding a finger up. "That is the world of the spirt. To truly combat the coming evil, you must be able to manifest your spirt as an Avatar."
The Acolytes all looked confused.
"Uh, what now?" Mikey asked, speaking for them all.
"The spirit avatar taps into a warrior's deepest soul, manifesting a true totem of each warrior's inner being." Kon explained. "Each of the members of the ninja tribunal manifest a dragon, the ancient symbol for wisdom and strength. The dragon is a very rare avatar."
"The dragon?" Leo muttered.
"Let us see what lies hidden in your hearts, young warriors." Kon said, putting his feet down. "Meditate on your inner spirit. Make it manifest."
He floated upwards as they all looked at him.
"Ugh, more meditation." Raph grumbled. resting his head on his hand. "Wonderful."
Mikey began to meditate, but then stretched his legs out and pulled a muscle in them.
"Who invented this pose?" he questioned, rubbing his behind. "I think I'd meditate better lying down."
Kon landed behind him and whacked him on the back of his head.
"Oh!" he flinched, touching his head.
"Quiet your mind to unleash your spirt." Kon instructed, pointing at his mind.
He hovered over towards Tora, before he landed beside him.
Tora meditated as his amulet glowed, before red chi came out of it and his body.
"Observe Tora Yoshida, his Avatar manifests." Kon said, as his chi showed his Avatar animal, which was a wolf. "The wolf represents ferocity and speed."
The wolf Avatar roared.
Adam's amulet and body glowed with orange chi.
"Behold Adam's Avatar." Kon said, as his chi showed it, which was a bear. "The bear represents strength."
The bear Avatar roared.
Irene went next, as her amulet and body glowed with white chi, then her chi showed her Avatar, which was a Doe, female deer.
"Excellent, Irene Prewitt. The deer represents grace and devotion." Kon explained.
Joi went next, as her amulet and body glowed with yellow chi.
"Well done, Joi Reynard." Kon said, as her chi showed her Avatar, which was a hawk that screeched. "The hawk represents fearlessness."
Luis went next, as his amulet and body glowed with purple chi.
"Well done, Luis Martínez." Kon remarked, as his chi showed his Avatar, which was a jaguar, which roared. "The jaguar represents elegance and ambition."
Faraji went next, as his amulet and body glowed with blue chi, showing his Avatar, which was a lion.
"And Faraji Ngala manifests the lion, symbol of honor and courage." Kon said, as the lion roared.
"Well, I'm feeling like a dud." Mikey said, rubbing the back of his head.
"With concentration and training, you will soon be able to meld your worldly form with your spirt totem." Kon explained.
Leo grimaced and narrowed his eyes, as Cath tried to concentrate hard.
"You will actually become your..." Kon continued.
A flash of light made him turn, startling him, then he saw a bright blue light around Leo's body. He put his feet on the ground as everyone turned to Leo, Cath opening up her eyes, losing focus, as Leo's body lit up with his chi lines, as his amulet glowed. A beam shot out from the amulet, which shot up and shattered the other Avatars, before his own manifested, which was a dragon.
"The dragon!" Kon exclaimed, shocked and speechless. "Inconceivable for one so young. It seems we were right about you."
He looked at Leo, as his siblings all gathered around him, as his chi vanished.
"Oh, yeah!" Donnie said.
"All right!" Mikey said.
"Way to go!" Elisa said.
Raph held his thumb up as Mikey touched Leo's shoulder and patted his hand.
"Yeah!" Raph said.
"Incredible!" Cath said.
"There is more to you and your siblings, than at first seems apparent to the eye." Kon said.
Cath turned slightly and looked down, as she still hadn't mastered her chi.
"I'm sure you will do as well as your family has, Catharina." Kon assured. "But when, I cannot say."
Cath looked up at him and smiled slightly, glad to know the Tribunal hadn't given up on her.
Leo's Avatar vanished as Chikara and Hismoi came towards everyone.
"You know, Leo, this might be why you didn't get a weapon like the rest of us." Elisa deduced.
"You think so?" Leo asked.
"Yeah." Elisa said. "I mean, that must be a powerful Avatar."
"She's got a point, Leo." Cath said.
"Kon, prepare the Acolytes!" Chikara commanded, resting her Kanabō on her shoulder. "The second artifact has been found."
That night, the Tribunal's ship was docked near the Monastary, as Hisomi and the Acolytes all board it, as Chikara stood on the ship watching.
"Heed me well, Acolytes. It is of the upmost importance that you secure this second artifact. If it is returned safely here to the Lap of the Gods, the Shredder's minions will be unable to resurrect their master." Kon explained.
Chikara turned to the ship's flags, as Adam and Hisomi grabbed the anchor chain.
"But be warned, I sense that an ever-shifting evil awaits you." Kon explained, as Adam and Hisomi lifted the chain up and threw the end away.
The ship began to fly off.
"Great." Raph said sarcastically. "No pressure or nothing."
Later, Hisomi and Chikara led the Acolytes on foot through a river in the forest, Hisomi carrying a lit torch. They soon walked along a large ground tree root, before they came towards a cave entrance in a large tree.
"Ah, there." Chikara said. "The passageway to the second artifact. We must secure it at any cost."
They all stopped by a pillar outside the entrance, which had cut glyphs on.
"But beware, this is the warren of the Nezumi." Chikara explained, as she and Hisomi turned to the Acolytes.
"Nezumi? A rat? We have to fight rats?" Donnie questioned.
"Dude, your Sensei is a Nezumi." Adam joked.
Donnie didn't smile, as he didn't find it funny.
"That's...not exactly the same." Cath said. "We once had to fight this...weird guy who could control many tiny rats."
"Really freaky." Mikey shuddered, remembering the event too.
"The Nezumi is a shape-changing Tengu with a taste for living flesh." Chikara explained. "So, remember your training."
She and Hisomi both turned and walked down into the cave.
"Okay, so not the same as those kinda rats." Cath said.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Irene gulped.
"Come on, we better get inside." Elisa said.
She walked towards the cave, then the others all followed her.
Hisomi and Chikara followed them all down a tunnel, which had water running along the ground. They all approached small wooden spikes in the water, before they saw a set of steps leading up to a casket, like the first one they found weeks ago.
"There. Is that the second artifact?" Leo asked.
"What gave it away, the freaky alter or the (gulp) mountain of skulls?" Mikey inquired, as it was between two dragon statues, with a two-horned one right behind it.
A rat came out of one of the many skulls around the artifact, followed by eight more, then they and many more all began to run towards the Acolytes, Hisomi and Chikara. They entered the water and approached everyone, before Chikara put the end of her Kanabo into the water.
"This is a trap." she said.
"Trap?" Mikey said nervously. "I hate traps."
Three of the rats turned into Nezumi Tengus, which did resemble large rats with yellow eyes, then more followed them. Chikara lifted herself up and spun around while holding her Kanabō, kicking two of them away, before she put her feet on the ground. She then slammed her Kanabō into the ground, knocking water up, which knocked three more Nezumis up, knocking them away, two hitting spiked pillars, the third a bunch of skulls.
Hisomi tossed Tora his touch, who caught it, then he brought out his Tessens and threw them away. They moved around like boomerangs, hitting four Nezumis on a wall, making them fall down from it.
"Ah!" Mikey yelped, as he, Elisa and Donnie all ducked, as a Nezumi dived past them.
"We should bring Hisomi with us more often." Donnie said.
"Agreed." Elisa said.
A rat turned into a Nezumi near the steps, but this one had a scar near his right eye.
"Rise again, my brothers!" he commanded. "Engulf the Tribunal in our darkness!"
Dark shapes rose up from three of the Nezumis near him, which turned into shadow figures of themselves, then the same happened to five more of them. All eight shapes converged on Chikara and Hisomi, then pounced and four pinned them down each.
"Acolytes, attack!" Leo roared, taking out his swords.
The Acolytes all charged at the normal Nezumis.
Adam dived down and slammed ones head with his mallet, then he spun around and whacked another away as it dived towards him.
Irene spun around while holding her dual Kanabō, whacking two away as they pounced towards her, then she slammed it into a third's head, knocking it out.
Donnie held Byakko as his amulet glowed, powering up his chi as his body glowed, then he ran forward.
"Byakko, go!" he yelled, spinning around, whacking a Nezumi away with it.
He jumped up and twirled around as four more jumped after him, then he twirled around quickly and whacked them all away, before he landed on the ground.
"I'm a mean, green, beatdown machine!" he declared.
Raph jumped away from a few and landed near some skulls, as two landed near him, then he powered up his chi as his amulet glowed.
"It's shell kicking time." he said. "Banrai!"
He jumped and twirled around like a buzzsaw over the water, knocking the two Nezumis away, followed by five more, before he stopped and turned back to normal, crouched down.
Elisa held Arashi as three Nezumis came towards her, while her amulet glowed, powering up her chi.
"Roaring Storm!" she yelled.
She spun around and slashed Arashi from right to left, sending a magic beam which hit the three Nezumis and knocked them back.
"Boy, do I love this baby." Elisa whooped.
Mikey moved towards Joi, as a Nezumi jumped over them, before Mikey knocked it away with Inazuma. Joi spun around and kicked one away, then stabbed it with the pole end of her staff, before she turned around, as Mikey jumped up.
"Inazuma attack!" he yelled, spinning around.
He whacked a Nezumi as it jumped towards him, then whacked another away, then a third, then a fourth, which hit the water near Tora, before Mikey landed on his feet.
"I love being a Turtle!" he said.
Irene turned as several Nezumis all came towards her, before Luis slashed two away with his scythe, while Tora did the same with his dual-bladed staff.
"Thanks." she said, before she pointed behind them. "Look!"
Luis and Tora both turned around, and saw more Nezumis coming towards them, with Cath standing near them.
"Oh, man, here come more of them!" Luis exclaimed.
Cath turned around to the Nezumis, looking determined, as she was nearest to the new arrivals.
"I've gotta stop them!" she thought.
She closed her eyes while holding Kōri, concentrating hard, trying to drive out all thoughts from her mind.
"Come on! Come on!" she gritted. "You can do this Cath!"
She felt her amulet glow slightly, before her body lit up with white line patterns that covered her body. There was one on her forehead, which bent upwards, with two small ones on her cheeks resembling icicles, and some of her arms and legs were the same.
"Kōri Ice!" she yelled.
She spun Kōri around, before she dug the blades into the ground, shooting beams from them, which hit the six Nezumis, freezing them all soiled with ice. She looked at them, before Raph, Adam, Leo and Faraji all turned to her.
"Whoa." Adam said, amazed.
"That's what I call stopping them cold." Raph joked.
"You did it, sis." Leo said.
Cath smiled, happy to have finally mastered her chi like the others.
Faraji and Leo both turned away, as a spirt Nezumi came up behind them both, making Faraji turn to it. It pounced towards him and hit him, making him spin slightly as he got knocked up, before falling down.
"AH!" he moaned, before hitting the water. "Ah!"
"Faraji!" Leo gasped, turning to him.
The spirt Nezumi dived towards him, but missed as he dived to his left, landing near Faraji. Faraji tried to get up, but Gunshin was stuck in the water, as the head Nezumi came towards them.
"Now, you become food." he snarled. "The Master will reward me."
"I don't think so, Tengu." Leo said, as his amulet glowed, powering up his chi.
His body was covered in his blue lines, then he put his swords away, then powered up his Dragon Avatar, which glowed brightly.
"Ah!" the Nezumi gasped, closing his eyes. "NOOOO!"
The light began to burn his skin off, then his spirt vanished, before the light spread to three more, which suffered the same fate. Another then suffered the fate, along with the ones Cath had frozen with Kōri, the ice melting as they did, then the ones pinning Chikara and Hisomi, freeing them both. They both looked at Leo, before his Avatar vanished and went into his amulet, and then his chi vanished.
"Ah." he panted.
Hisomi jumped towards the steps, then jumped up them towards the casket. He opened it up, making a bright light shine from it, then he threw the lid away, and stared at the Demon Shredder's gauntlet, which glowed. It lifted itself up and hovered near Hisomi, as the Acolytes all stared at it.
"Is that...?" Raph began.
"The Shredder's gauntlet. The second artifact!" Donnie said.
Hisomi took the gauntlet and turned around to Chikara, as the Acolytes all came towards her, before she turned around and approached Leo and Cath.
"You have done well, Leonardo. And you did well mastering your chi, Catharina. We figured you needed the right motivation." she explained.
She bowed her head, then Leo and Cath bowed back.
"Perhaps there is hope yet." Chikara said, as Hisomi came towards her.
Leo and Cath raised their heads up and smiled.
Later, the Tribunal's ship began to pull its sails and fins out, before it began to sail back towards the Monastery.
Down on the ground, at the cave entrance, a rat came running out of it, then along the tree roots towards the river. It then stopped by it, seeing the Earth Mystic standing in the shallow water. Earth picked up the rat, who then moved along his arm to his ear area, then squeaked into it, as he could understand its language.
Behind him, stood Metal and the other Foot Mystics, before he turned to them all.
"All is ready." Earth told them.
"Perfect." Metal said, his eyes glowing. "Soon, the Master will be free."
They all stood together, for they had set a plan in motion, for both the Tribunal and the Acolytes.
