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Road Rovers, and others, are owned by WB.
Chapter 5:
More worlds than one
"Strength of body when combined with strength of mind and spirit can move mountains." Their current teacher, Chikara, said to them while looking at the sun rising over the mountains before turning to face her students with her battle club on her shoulder. "Alone, however, the body shatters against rock like a brittle twig." She informs them, hinting the eight on their next lesson.
"Yeah, but paper beats rock, and rock beats scissors, right?" Michelangelo questioned before continuing with, "Of course scissors beats paper, and paper beats…" He cut off his own statement when he and the others saw Chikara, a woman around their height, pick up a boulder as tall as Hisomi, and just as wide (if he laid down) with only one hand.
"Whoa." They all said as one, but there was one that was seeing something else at the moment.
"Is she not, dreamy, purple turtle friend?" Exile said in awe to the man he was sitting behind.
"Chikara-Shisho?" Don questioned back before they all watched her throw the rock up into the air, and destroy it with an open palm on its way down. "Sure, dreamy like a Panzer Tank." He said after lowering his arms from the flying rubble.
"Oh, I don't know. Give her a shell, and a touch of green, you might have something." The slacker said as he was starting to dig that mental image until the woman in question spoke.
"Michelangelo, son of Splinter!" She shouted in her usual angered tone.
"Busted." The second oldest said to the victim, with a smile on his face since he knew something cool was going to happen; at his brother's expense.
"Stand." She ordered to the man in question. He could tell that she was not kidding, so he did what he was told. "Now, strike me with all of your strength." She ordered to him.
"Um, this is gonna end with me getting my shell kicked, isn't it?" He questioned before going into a fighting stance. The turtle tried a straight right punch, but the woman easily caught it in her palm, and began to put pressure on it.
"The body alone shatters against rock." She repeats herself after forcing the mutant to take a knee. "Again." She ordered after tossing him away.
'Punches don't work, so why not…' He thought before going through with his plan. "Hyah!" The ninja shouted while attempting a kick to her neck, but she countered it with a left punch to his ankle. "Ow." The comic reader said once he hit the ground after his second defeat.
"Nice work, Mikey. I think you've got her on the ropes." The big brain stated to his brother for moral support while the older brothers were laughing at the show they just watched.
"Stand, acolytes." The strength ordered to the eight before her. "Prepare." She shouted before slamming her two fists together causing a wave of green energy to envelop the area for a moment.
"I would not have predicted this." Hunter said as he and the others saw the boulders around them gather together in the form of rock creatures, with no visible faces.
"These stone oni are powerful and near impervious. To defeat them will take more than mere muscle. It is time to see if you can use what I have taught you focus on your inner strength." Chikara explained their opponents and the rules to this challenge.
"You ready to shatter some mountains Bon-Rai?" Raphael questioned to the weapons in his hands which seemed to have answered with a green glow around it.
"I said inner strength!" Their teacher shouted at them before gesturing away: Blitz's two pronged (one spear head on each end) spear along with his fangs and claws, Hunter's Gunshin, Colleen's dragon themed staff, Raphael's Bon-Rai, Leonardo's katana, Exile's hammer and optic blasts, Donatello's Byako, and Michelangelo's Inazuma. "No weapons." She added just in case they couldn't get the visual aid.
"You gotta be kiddin me!" The angered one shouted in anger before adding, "Aw man, no weapons. There's always a catch." She saw that they still just stood there, so their teacher decided to give them the go ahead.
"Fight, warriors." She said and at that moment the Russian rushed over to one only to be batted away, and knocked out of the fight. Blitz evaded a punch, climbed up, but was easily knocked away and out of the fight.
"Any idea's Raphy-Waphy?" The England woman questioned to the one in red that leapt right beside her.
"I thought I told you to stop calling me that, and yeah I have something. It's shell kicking time." He called out before activating his marks. Once the power surge was complete the turtle sped to one of them and grabbed the offending fist. "Coming about Colleen. DUCK!" He shouted before using the one in his hands to destroy the one coming toward her. The youngest of the four was not doing so well against his oni.
"Uh-oh." The slacker said before sliding away from a downward punch. "Okay. I'm focusing, focusing, focusing. Hyah!" He said and tried to do another straight punch, but the fist was stopped at the surface of the rock creature's abs. "OW, but I was focusing." He complained as his opponent was walking up behind him.
'Maybe these will help.' Leo thought as he bound both knuckles while evading the oni that chose him as an opponent. "Come on! Come on! Break!" He shouted after getting onto one of the rock beasts arms and started to beat on it with his bare fists.
"I…I…wow. I just thought it through and…WOW!" Donatello exclaimed in sheer awe after plowing through the creature Blitz had tried and failed to defeat. The retriever and his brother both seemed happy over what the egghead had done.
'I will not fail. I will succeed.' The eldest of the four thought as he was still working on the beast before him; who wasn't even hurt.
"Halt." Chikara called out which caused all other oni to stand perfectly still. "The lesson ends." She instructed to the eight before adding, "Raphael, Blitz, Donatello, Colleen, you have all done well." The teacher gave the Doberman that much since he did distract one oni so that the purple one could get into position. "The rest of you: Your focus and discipline are poor. You will do well to meditate on your utter failure here." She said to the remaining four who were all getting back on their feet.
"Hey, don't I at least get a gold star for good effort. I stayed conscious!" The chucker said as his brother was helping him get back on his feet. The other one that failed was concerned for something else.
"How did I do? Was Chikara impressed?" The husky questioned before looking over left and right to see if she was still around, and saw that she was already leaving with Colleen and Blitz in toe.
"You did great, Exile." The big brain of the sewer dwellers said in a reassuring way even though he was the first to fall.
"Yeah. Chikara's probably gonna ask you out now." The one in red said in his usual sarcastic tone, but the canine did not catch the sarcasm.
"Cool." The Siberian said to them, and if it wasn't for a possible head injury the Rover would have used the Russian way of saying sweet. As the three seemed happy over what had happened the swords-turtle just sulked away.
'Perhaps I should offer some words of wisdom.' Ancient One thought after appearing on a small boulder and saw the look of defeat on two of the turtle's faces.
'Man, did I blow it.' Leonardo and Michelangelo thought as they stayed by themselves; to try to clear their heads.
"Ahem. Leonardo, 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 to them in a serious tone.
"Ancient One." The eldest said as the both of them bowed before the warrior in question. "I'm not sure the Tribunal is happy with my progress." The brother explained why he was unhappy over this whole thing.
"Yeah, Chikara wanted to drop kick me off that mountain." The youngest said while explaining how he felt over today's exercise.
"The Ninja Tribunal would not waste their time on students who were not worthy. You are both doing well. You, Leonardo, are hardest on for in you they see much potential. They expect you to rise to their challenge, as do I." The human said to them, and despite how his old friend felt about them Ancient One knew from experience that the four only go with those that are worth their energies.
"Thank you, Ancient One." Leonardo said to the smaller man; appreciating his words of encouragement.
"Yeah. I wish you were training us instead of the Tribunal." The comic reader said to the man who was about to walk away, but stayed to hear that last comment.
"And who do you think trained me, Michelangelo?" The man questioned before going back into the monastery. The two looked at one another and vowed that they were going to master these lessons no matter what.
"No. Not again! Not again!" Splinter shouted in anguish after seeing his sons have fallen in battle before hearing the beating of hooves coming from behind him. The rodent in question was startled awake after seeing the Shredder charge at him.
"Night after night - the same vision. Master Yoshi, please tell me how to protect my sons from this coming darkness." The real Splinter said to himself while seeing that the four were sleeping soundly.
"We better be going. I think it's Hisomi this time." Leonardo said to the others in the morning. Without a word they left, met up with the four chosen dogs, and journeyed to where the silent one stood.
'Let's see if they can do it this time.' Hisomi thought as he signed to them what he had shown them earlier before running off. The eight understood and started to chase after him on a rocky path in pairs of two: Leonardo/Hunter, Michelangelo/Blitz, Raphael/Colleen, and Donatello/Blitz.
"Chasing Hisomi isn't exactly boosting my moral. I'm getting tired of failing." Leo said to his running buddy as Blitz and Michelangelo lapped them.
"I know what you mean, pal." Hunter said casually as if not even worried about this fight. It was true that he was gifted artifical super speed, but ever since arriving here the Golden Retriever was challenging himself not to use it unless the situation called for it…or unless he really wanted.
"What are you talking about, Hunter? You're doing great. You were given one of the fangs of the dragon. You're the most skilled warrior here." The turtle said back to the dog and meant every word.
"Not exactly, Leo. I mean I didn't pass Chikara's lesson, and we are in second for Hisomi's lesson; right?" The yellow furred one questioned with a smile as the two lapped the biter and the party animal. The last two were having a discussion over something totally different.
"You are pulling on my paw, your putting missles in it - that's great." Exile said to the builder beside him.
"Oh, I know. It'll have: armor platting, a communication center, and be fully remote accessible." Donatello said to the canine who seemed to have a knack for building things almost as great as his.
"Man, that's awesome." The Siberain said before thinking and adding an instant thought, "I have idea: you could have the truck pop open and a rocket engine be there. I even have name for car - Turtle Taxi." The turtle thought about it and enjoyed the mental image.
"Good idea." Donatello said back to the Russian beside him. "Um, we aren't going to catch up to Hisomi, are we?" The big brained one questioned to the canine beside him.
"I do not seeing that happen, Don." Exile said back to his fellow acolyte; admitting his defeat as well.
"Move it or lose it, slowpokes." Mikey said as he and his partner pushed aside the second place to be right behind their current teacher. Not saying a word the leaders of the respected teams simply got back in the race. "How does he do it?" The comical one questioned before adding, "Okay, Blitz, you and me. We're gonna figure this out and we're gonna catch him." The German heard him and did not like it.
"If you ran as fast as you talked, turtle-boy. You could have already beaten baldy." The biter answered back with his prideful tone in his voice.
"No, we just have to remember what Hisomi said about stealth and moment…well, what he mimed about them anyway." Michelangelo said back since he was going to pass at least one of these tests no matter what. "See it happen, picture myself there, and Chikara said if I focus my chi…" He repeated over the lessons that he had been in before feeling a power surge. "Wa-Hoo!" The turtle shouted in praise when he found himself going faster than he's ever gone.
"I could have done that anytime. I just felt like letting you have this one." Blitz said as he watched the turtle speed away, and get closer to the already distant dragon.
'Looks like all have…failed?' The silent one thought before looking to his right and saw the orange one running along side him. 'Okay, but can he handle my true speed.' The stealth dragon thought and went faster.
'This is gonna be fun.' Michelangelo thought with a happy laugh before he too went faster. The master of speed turned to his right and saw that the turtle was still level with him so he nodded his head to show the turtle that he had passed.
"I am never gonna hear the end of this." Raphael said aloud as he saw the two trails of dust and knew that the orange streak was his kid brother. The other seven kept up their pace all the way back to the monastery where Shag had pulled out a bar from his fur.
'Where does he put all that stuff.' Donatello thought as he slurped down a wild berry slushie. Once they were dehydrated the eight journeyed to the spot where the Master of Spirits were waiting for them.
"While you walk on this earth your spirit walks in another world. What you see with your eyes is only one plane of existence. What you feel with your heart and chi - that is the world of the spirit. To truly combat the coming evil, you must be able to manifest your spirit as an avatar." Kon said to them with the eight sitting Indian style around him.
"Uh, what now?" Mikey questioned since he was lost on that concept even after hearing the four's origin.
"The spirit avatar taps into a warrior's deepest soul. Manifesting a true totem of each warrior's inner being. Each of the members of the Ninja Tribunal manifests a dragon: the ancient symbol for wisdom and strength. The dragon is a very rare avatar." Kon explained to all of the creatures around him.
"The dragon…" The swords-turtle whispered to himself, and wondered if such a powerful creature was within him.
"Let us see what lies hidden inside your hearts young warriors. Meditate on your inner spirit. Make it manifest." Kon said while floating in place, and then floated away.
"Oh, more meditation - wonderful." Raphael stated as a complaint since he preferred the weapon training or just smashing more stuff.
"What's wrong Raphy? Don't like clearing your mind…oh wait, you don't have anything to clear." Colleen stated back at him with a sly smile on her face. He growled at the canine, but in truth he liked this one's spunk.
"Who invented this pose? I think I'd meditate better lying down." Mikey said to his fellow warriors after feeling a cramp, pulling out of it by moving his limbs, and then returned to Indian position.
"Quiet your mind to unleash your spirit." The silver haired man said to them all after coming back down, behind the complainer, and bopped him on the head with a precise punch.
'I know this is something I can do.' Blitz thought as he felt something happening.
"Observe, Blitz, his avatar manifests. The wolf represents ferocity and speed." Kon said as the red wolf appeared over them, and saw a orange aura coming from the blue/white one. "Behold, Exile's avatar. The bear represents strength." The four liked that one as well.
'Good job.' Donatello thought before seeing another blast of light.
"Well done, Colleen, the hawk represents fearlessness." Kon explained to them after the golden bird appeared.
'That explains so much.' Raph thought and now knew why she was the way she was around him: unafraid of him taking her down with his own two hands.
"And Hunter - manifests the lion: symbol of honor and courage." The Master of Spirit said as a blue lion appeared over the final canine.
"Well, I'm feeling like a dud." The speedy turtle stated truthfully as he saw that his friends have mastered this lesson.
"With concentration and training you will soon be able to meld your worldly form with your spirit totem." The imortal said to them not noticing the look of determination from the leader of the green men. "You will actually become your…" He stopped when an intense white light came from the blue turtle.
'I can do this! I can do this!' The field leader thought and then summoned his avatar to the field; which destroyed the previous four in an instant.
"The dragon! Inconceivable for one so young." Their teacher said after staring up at the blue and green dragon before looking down at the owner. "It seems we were right about you." He admitted as the eldest of the four powered down.
"All right!" The three others cheered after gathering around the dragon summoner which he appreciated their praise for what he had just done.
"There is more to you and your brothers than at first seems apparent to the eye." The master said to himself, and knew that these four might just be the answers they were seeking all these years.
"Kon, ready the acolytes the second artifact has been found." Chikara said to her friend as she and Hisomi were walking up to the nine in question. The chosen few followed the strength and speed factors of the Ninja Tribunal all the way to the ship. "Heed me well, acolytes, it is of the utmost importance that you secure this second artifact. If it returned safely here to the lap of the gods the minions will be unable to resurrect their master, but be warned I sense an ever shifting an ever shifting evil awaits you." Kon said to them as Chikara watched them board, and Hisomi along with Exile cast off the metal chain that kept the ship close.
"Great, no pressure or nothin." Raphael said in annoyance since that was all he needed to hear: to be reminded of their main mission, and the consequences should they fail. The group land and walk in a forest where Hisomi led them to a tomb embedded at the base of a giant tree.
"Ahh, there, the passageway to the second artifact. We must secure it at any cost, but beware this is the warren of the nesumi." Chikara said once they were close to the doorway, but stopped beside some glyphs.
"Nesumi…a rat? We have to fight rats?" Donatello questioned to his master who answered him with a nod.
"Comrade, your master is a nesumi." Exile said with a big smile on his muzzle. The one in green decided to force these fighters to focus by giving away some facts:
"The nesumi is a shape changing tengu with a taste for living flesh. So, remember your training." She said to them causing all of them to become a little queasy, but other than that the group still proceed
"There. Is that the second artifact?" Leonardo questioned as they walked into a large cave, and he pointed to an item in between two dragon statues.
"What gave it away? The freaky alter or the…" Michelangelo said but paused to gulp out of fear, and was about to finish, but his canine chum did it for him.
"The mountain of skulls." The Doberman said while hiding behind his field leader.
"This is a trap." The strong woman said as a river of rats came forth from the skulls.
"Traps? I hate traps." The comical teen stated as he and the others watched as the innocent looking rodent mystically transformed into rat humanoids as tall as tall as Shag. The moment they charged Chikara used her club as a means to propel herself to two rodents and kicked them down before grabbing said weapon and bashing three away with a single stroke.
'What's he going to do?' Blitz thought as the speed gave him the torch he was carrying before revealing his battle fans. He threw them up to the ones hanging on the stalactites.
"We should bring Hisomi with us more often." The brains of the ninja's said to the party animal since he could not believe how easily those two were handling these minions. The rat at the alter transformed to his true self which looked like the others except for the scar on his right eye, upward going fangs, and scales on his spine.
"Rise again, my brothers, engulf the Tribunal in our darkness." The leader said and they all saw the spirits of the fallen one rise from their physical forms.
"I would not have predicted this - bummer." Hunter said calmly as the eight watched as the spirits did as their boss said and engulfed the two teachers.
"Acolytes, attack!" Leonardo said to the others, immediately taking the role of leader. None of them complained, they simply went after the ones that were still standing. Exile slammed one's head with his hammer.
"I am loving being Acolyte Road Rover!" The man cheered with a big smile on his face for his easy victory, and swung at the one that tried to attack him from the rear.
"Byakku, unleash the cleaving winds." The purple turtle called out and took out five with his spin move. "I'm a mean, green, beat down machine." He said with a smile; happy that he's getting these lessons.
"It's shell kicking time, Bonrai!" Raphael shouted before going to use his spin move and took down seven minions. The red one was happy that he was doing what he loved, but he loved it even more with this mystical edge.
"Inazuma, attack!" The one in orange shouted out after Colleen stabbed a couple with her staff. He shot down four with his blast trick. "I love being a turtle!" He shouted out of joy with his body all lit up.
"Hunter!" Leo said as his swordsman ally was smacked down by a shadow. The beast tried for the turtle, but he evaded, and went over to the Golden Retriever in the water; which was only ankle deep.
"Now, you become food." The leader of the rats said to the blue turtle who seemed to be checking on the canine creature. "The master will reward me." He said; believing that he had already won.
"I don't think so, tengu." The eldest brother said darkly to the evil Splinter before activating his Tribunal markings, and accessed his spirit totem. The dragon's light took down all nesumi: body and spirit.
'Must complete this mission.' Hisomi thought and leapt over to the alter, threw the lid away, and looked inside.
"Is that…" Raphael started to say, but was interrupted by his brother.
"The Shredder's gauntlet. The second artifact." Donatello said as he and the others saw Hisomi holding the item in question. When the strength of the Tribunal saw the item was in safe hands she decided to have word with the oldest son.
"You have done well." Chikara said and ended it with a bow which he returned. "Perhaps there is hope yet." She added while still looking at the turtle in question who smiled after hearing that.
"Then our job here is done." Colleen said to all and they all headed for the entrance. Once there they set sail for home, but as night fell one nesumi, who survived the dragon's light, came out and found the earth Harold.
"All is ready." The earth attributed being said to his friend after hearing the word from the rodent he picked up and placed near his ear.
"Perfect. Soon, the master will be free." The Harold of steel said after hearing what his brother had to say.