Summary: As Leona drifts in and out of consciousness, Saldana and the other Lotus Ninjas tell tales of Leona's early life.
Phantom teleported herself and the others inside the torch of the Statue of Liberty. Everyone crowded around Lee, who looked incredibly injured and bruised from her intense battle against every member of the Shadow Clan.
"Lee's in really bad shape. We have to get her somewhere safe." Donna said.
"And where could that possibly be?" Ella questioned as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Because in case you have forgotten, our home is gone."
"And you guys are in no shape to fight." Irma added.
"We can stay either in my place or Irma's, but I highly doubt those options, especially for a crazy explanation to our parents if they learned about magic and Donna's robot." Aaliyah said.
"Appreciate the offer, but there is a special place that will be safe for us to heal and rest." Saldana said.
"And where would that be?" Aaliyah asked.
"Ryoko." Saldana said, turning her head to the pet dragon.
Ryoko nodded. She soared up above everyone and roared out a white portal below their feet, descending them through the portal all at once. Ryoko flew straight down towards the portal as it closed and disappeared right out of sight.
Few minutes later, the white portal opened and everyone landed on the soft grass. Donna, Ella, Ellie, Irma, and Aaliyah watched as the portal closed right above them. Phantom carried Lee into her long arms while Ekron sat on top of Lee's chest. Ryoko rested into Saldana's arms.
"Good girl." Saldana smiled.
Irma was the first one to turn around and saw something that made her face go awestruck.
"Girls…you really need to see this." Irma said.
Once Donna, Ella, Ellie, and Aaliyah turned around, they all stared with awestruck faces. Right in front of them was an elegant brick Georgian architecture mansion that was positioned among beautifully landscaped gardens and trimmed lawns.
"Whoa." Ellie spoke.
"You said it." Ella, Aaliyah, and Donna nodded.
"How…how did you…?" Irma stuttered.
"It was Caesar's home. But this story will have to wait for another time." Saldana said with a smile. "We'll be safe here."
With that, everyone walked inside the mansion.
Inside the mansion, Phantom carried Lee into the warm, steamy pool. The bottom of the pool was glossy pearl filled with warm clear water and colorful coral underneath. Lee laid floating in the water that will keep her body hydrated. Everyone watched as the water was being absorbed all over Lee's bruised skin.
"Is Lee gonna be okay?" Irma asked Saldana with a worried face.
"As long as the water element is healing her, only time will tell." Saldana answered.
Suddenly, a weak groan was heard. Everyone looked startled by that sound as they turned their heads to see Lee groaning quietly once she was completely healed from her wounds. Everyone then crowded around Lee.
"Leona?" Saldana spoke softly.
Meanwhile, Lady Shade was staring at the window with narrow eyes. Sienna and Mira then walked in the main room.
"Hooray! We did it! Those Lotus witches are history! The Shadow Clan won!" Mira cheered happily.
"I won't celebrate just yet, sister. Even though we burned that fortress of theirs to the ground, we all saw how they escaped." Sienna added.
"Sienna's right. We must stay vigilant." Lady Shade said. "Our enemies will recover their strength to finish off everything that represents our clan. All I need is a spell to locate them throughout the city."
"And that's where I come in."
Lady Shade, Sienna, and Mira turned to see Sage stepping out into the room from the shadows. Her arms are covered in swirly purple-and-black substance with glowing tattoo-resembled marks on her hand that strongly resemble black opera gloves and an empty left eye socket with few substance-like tears.
Sienna narrowed her eyes while Mira rolled her eyes with a pout.
"What do you want, Sage?" Lady Shade demanded. "I can already tell you haven't learned anything from your punishments."
"If you want to locate your enemies, I can provide you with the most sophisticated magic analysis of their whereabouts." Sage explained haughtily. "That way it will give enough evidence to inform where they might be hiding."
"And what do you want in exchange?" Lady Shade asked.
"Simple." Sage answered. "I want full access to the magnificent magical artifacts that I've stolen from the museum days ago. With my technological genius, imagine what I might do if I give complete access to it."
Lady Shade walked up to Sage with an intrigued look on her face.
"If you can prove to me with evidential proof, you shall get your reward. But if not, your next punishment will be your last." Lady Shade said threateningly.
With that, Lady Shade walked away. Despite Lady Shade's threat, Sage looked completely unfazed.
Sienna and Mira walked past Sage on either side as they both gave her snarky smirks.
"Good luck." Mira said.
"You're gonna need it." Sienna said.
Mira and Sienna walked away to follow their mother.
Sage narrowed her eyes at the Shadow Clan mystics with a scowl. With a clenched fist, she needs to come up with a quick plan.
Back at Caesar's mysterious mansion, everyone stared at Lee. The blue mystic kunoichi was still floating in the water.
"What's taking her so long? Can she wake up already?" Ella asked with a frustrated sigh of anger.
"Rafaela, remain patient. Healing takes time. Leona's water element may have healed her physical wounds, but not her mental spirit." Saldana stated firmly.
"You think we can try out a spell, so that way she can hear us?" Donna asked curiously.
"Perhaps." Saldana replied. "It is said that the voice of a loved one can guide a lost spirit back to its home."
"What do you have in mind?" Irma asked.
"If I can communicate Lee through her thoughts, even in her unconscious state, she might hear my voice." Donna replied. "But let's hope it works."
Donna knelt above Lee. She closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened her eyes again, her eyes started glowing bright purple. She touched Lee's forehead with all five fingers on her right hand.
"Hello, Lee. It's me, Donna. I don't know if you can hear me, but you just gotta pull yourself through this. You're our leader. We can't get through anything without you." Donna pleaded softly. "Remember you took the time to spend time with me on my favorite activities when we were kids?"
[Flashback]
"Come on, Lee." A five-year-old Donna said cheerfully to a five-year-old Lee. "You promised."
"Okay, okay, I'm coming." Lee giggled.
Donna and Lee used their magic to open the skylight windows on the ceiling. The fortress was followed with sunlight. Lee promised to spend time with Donna throughout the day as they both began to do all the activities that Donna does every day.
Donna picked up two books for her and Lee to read. Lee was reading her favorite book on ancient Japan, which interested her with the history of ninjas and supernatural creatures. Donna's favorite was the botany book. It had the best variety of flowers and explained about different properties that grew outside.
After that, Donna played the piano, while Lee watched in amazement and clapped for her little sister. She was self-taught, of course, but the melodies that floated from the notes were magnificent. In the kitchen, Donna and Lee baked well-cooked pies. Later, Donna and Lee had worked some puzzles together and played chess, which Donna defeated Lee with a checkmate.
Donna and Lee rushed through the halls.
"I saved the best for last." Donna said excitedly.
"What is it?" Lee asked.
"You'll see." Donna replied.
Donna finally reached to the large room and opened the door. Donna indeed have saved the best for last: her botanical garden! It was Donna's passion. The entire room were covered with various flowers under a sunny skylight window. Donna grabbed a watering can and began watering the flowers.
But Lee had a better idea. Lee lifted her hands upwards and summoned a large grey cloud floating above the flowers. The dark cloud showered the entire room with rain. When she snapped her fingers, the dark cloud disappeared, which allowed the sun to shine brightly over the flowers.
"Whoa. Now, that worked even faster than I anticipated." Donna smiled. She pulled Lee into a sisterly hug. "Thanks, Lee."
"No problem, sister." Lee smiled back as she returned the hug.
[Flashback Ends]
Donna smiled at that childhood memory.
"You really came through for me that day, Leo. You always do. And I know you will again." Donna said.
Lee steadily groaned as she started clutching her eyes.
"I think she heard you, Donna!" Aaliyah exclaimed.
"I'm so glad." Irma said with a relived smile.
"I'll go next." Ellie said.
Ellie stepped up and knelt above Lee. She closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened her eyes again, her eyes started glowing bright orange. She touched Lee's forehead with all five fingers on her right hand.
"Listen, Lee, just focus on my voice." Ellie said. "I want you to wake up. When you set our mind on something, you are always instantly focused. Like remember, when we were kids, you were trying to perfect her magic after I forced us to spend the whole night in the dojo?"
[Flashback]
Under the starry night, Ellie woke up from her sleep. She sat up and grinned to see the wonderful gleam of the full moon from the window. She jumped out of bed and tiptoed across the room to wake Lee, who was sleeping peacefully in her bed. Ellie climbed onto his oldest sister's bed.
"Lee, come on!" Ellie whispered urgently as she shook her oldest sister softly. "Wake up, wake up already!"
"Ellie, it was late. Go back to sleep." Lee grumbled as she ducked under the covers.
"I can't! The full moon's up." Ellie said, rolling on Lee's back and laid on top of her. "And I want to play."
"Then, go play by yourself or with Ella or Donna." Lee said, shoving her youngest sister off her bed.
Ellie fell off the bed to the floor. She really doesn't mind playing by herself or with her other two sisters, but she really wants Lee to play with her. She smiled mischievously for a minute because she had an idea that could make her sister to get out of bed. Ellie climbed back up to Lee's bed.
"Do you want to do a power spell?" Ellie whispered playfully.
Lee's eyes popped open and smirked playfully at Ellie.
Ellie and Lee rushed through the halls until they finally reached to the large dojo that was perfect to play. Ellie ran to the center of the room after Lee closed the door.
Lee giggled and moved her hands in a circle as Ellie did the same. They kept swirling their powers and looked at each other.
"Ready?" Lee asked with a smile.
"Oh yeah." Ellie smiled back.
Ellie and Lee released their water and air powers filled with powder snow around the room.
"This is amazing!" Ellie cheered. "We actually created snow!"
"Watch this." Lee said.
Lee took a deep breath. She waved her right hand back and slammed her palm on the floor. A glowing blue spade-shaped symbol appeared on the floor and constructed itself into a large fox made of solid water to life.
"What…how…when did you…?!" Ellie stuttered with utter excitement.
"It took two whole days, but it was worth it." Lee answered. "Now, let's ride."
Later, Lee and Ellie began to play with the fox together. The sisters had so much fun playing with the water fox by riding on its back around the room.
[Flashback Ends]
Ellie smiled at that childhood memory.
"You were always unstoppable." Ellie said. "You always have, you always will."
"Alright, Ella. It's your turn. "Aaliyah said to Ella.
Ella crossed her arms and looked away.
"I don't think so." Ella retorted angrily. "It's obvious Lee can't pull herself together out of her dream world."
"Look, our sister needs our voices right here, right now! We don't have time for your tough girl act right now!" Ellie snapped.
"Hey, she got her butt whooped by the Shadow Clan. And after hearing your two voices, she's still too afraid to wake up." Ella said.
"Ella, quit it already." Donna countered.
"I'm just saying the truth!" Ella shouted. When she squeezed her eyes shut, tears started to form. She turned her head as she was struggling to contain her emotions. "I mean, come on. It's not like we can't move on and act tough without our fearless leader."
Everyone watched with sad faces as Ella stepped up and knelt above Lee. She closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened her eyes again, her eyes started glowing bright red. She touched Lee's forehead with all five fingers on her right hand.
"Remember, as kids, we found Ryoko injured in the bush during our family panic?" Ella said.
[Flashback]
Saldana searched everywhere for Ella and Lee with a bright smile on her face as they were playing hide-and-seek together in the open area of the forest.
"Where are you? Come out! Come out! Come on out! I'm coming to get you!" Saldana said playfully as she looked around for her daughters.
Ella and Lee giggled as they hid under the tree, but Saldana heard them giggling. Ella and Lee noticed that their mother stood next to the tree, and they quickly moved out to hide somewhere else.
"Where are you, you little rascals? You can't hide from me." Saldana with a mischievous smile.
Saldana knelt down to look under the tree, but Ella and Lee weren't there. She stood up and closed her eyes, spreading invisible waves of magic to track her daughters. She detected them hiding behind another tree halfway close to her position.
"Hmm. I wonder where are my little daughters at." Saldana smirked with a pretentious ponder. "I'm going to gobble them up when I find them."
Ella and Lee slowly came up behind their mother with giggles. Saldana spun around and saw her daughters staring at her with wide eyes, but she caught them close before they can run away as Ella and Lee let out playful shrieks.
"I'm going to eat you!" Saldana smiled as she lifted the giggling Ella and Lee into the air.
Saldana made loud chewing noises while playfully biting Ella and Lee's necks, making her daughters giggle madly as their little feet was kicking in delight. Ella then stopped giggling when she heard a rustling sound.
"What's that sound?" Ella wondered.
Ella sprinted off out of the dojo as Lee followed her. They reached into the bushes and searched around until they turned around to see a pint-sized dragon lying weakly on the ground. It has a long, serpentine body with ivory white scales and a golden yellow underside. It also has sky blue eyes, two limbs with three-clawed hands, and two crystal yellow orbs adorned on its tail.
"It's a dragon." Lee murmured with a smile.
"They are real." Ella smiled back with a whisper.
Ella and Lee heard many stories of mythical dragons from Saldana, but they never saw one until now. Ella reached out to touch the dragon, but the dragon weakly stared at the girls and instantly released a white stream of fire from its mouth at the girls. Instead of making them go away, Ella swiftly caught the stream of fire with one hand and extinguish it with one swipe.
"Hey, what's your problem?!" Ella snapped. "We're not here to hurt you!"
The dragon sensed Ella's irritation as a threat and then surrounded its tail with white fire before swinging it viciously at the girls. Ella quickly created a large fiery shield to protect the lashing tail.
"Can this dragon realize that we are trying to help it?" Ella shouted.
"Let me handle this." Lee said.
"Go for it." Ella said.
Lee created multiple rings of water in between her hands. She sent them around the dragon, healing the creature once it stopped attacking.
"It's okay. We're not gonna hurt you." Lee said.
Once Ella dropped the fiery shield, Lee slowly placed her hand on the dragon's cheeks and gently rubbed it. The dragon then started to calm down a bit.
"See? We just want to help you." Lee said. "You're safe with us now."
Lee picked the dragon up and held it in her arms.
"What'd you do?" Ella asked.
"A healing spell. Something that mother taught me." Lee replied. "Come on, let's ask mom if we can keep her."
Lee and Ella ran back to their mother, who was rolling up the basket with her magic.
"Mommy, we found a dragon!" Ella exclaimed happily.
Ella and Lee stood in front of Saldana.
"We found a dragon!" Lee smiled.
"A dragon?" Saldana said with a smile. She looked at the dragon in Lee's arms. "Indeed, you did. Although I'm not really sure why would a dragon be lost here in this city."
"Can we keep her, mom?" Ella pleaded.
"I don't see why not." Saldana replied. "Some say that dragons are known as to be strong and powerful, no matter how big or small they are."
"And I've got just the name for her too." Lee said. "How about…Ryoko?"
"Ryoko? That's not bad." Ella smiled.
Ryoko stretched herself and nuzzled lovingly against Lee's cheek as if she liked her new name.
Ella and Lee smiled together.
[Flashback Ends]
Ella wiped her tears from that childhood memory.
"I don't even know why I told you that story." Ella said as she stood up on her feet. "But I…I guess maybe…you might need..."
Lee started to groan a little bit.
"Your sister hears you, Rafaela." Saldana said as she walked up to place her hand on Ella's shoulder.
Ella wiped her tear from her eye. Ryoko flew up and nuzzled affectionately against Ella's cheek, making the red mystic kunoichi pat the dragon's head with a small smile.
Back in New York, several Nanocats searched through the sky with glowing red eyes on the rooftop of the tallest building at the center of the city. The feline robots were searching for any mystical energies that matches the Lotus Ninjas and Saldana.
Sage looked at the digital compact mirror in her hand. She stared at the screen that read no active activity of mystical energies.
"Unbelievable. I have scanned every search analysis over twenty times and there's still no sign of those mystics." Sage said. She then narrowed her eyes. "But if I go back to Shade with nothing, who know what punishment she has in store for me."
One Nanocat approached Sage, who noticed its presence. The Nanocat opened its mouth and revealed a mystical necklace in its fangs. The necklace has a black bat's wing pendent with a rose-gold metal chain attached to it.
"Of course." Sage said with a smile. She retrieved the necklace in her hands and stared at it. "Luckily, I was able to sneak this charm right under Shade and her cronies' noses before they sent me to that awful void. And with the power of its illusionary influence…"
Sage puts on the necklace around her neck. She held up two fingers from her right hand and formed a ball of bluish-violet energy. She then threw the energy ball at the ground and created an illusion of a red rose.
"I can create evidence that Shade will never know the difference." Sage said.
Back at the mansion, Saldana knelt above Lee and stared at her eldest daughter for a moment.
"Leona, my daughter, gather all your strength and confront your fear, just as you did many years ago." Saldana said.
Donna, Ellie, and Ella exchanged confuse face. The Leona they know wasn't afraid of anything.
"What are you talking about, mom? What could Lee possibly be afraid of?" Ella said.
"It was a secret that Lee wanted to keep from you all from a very long time." Saldana replied.
Saldana's eyes started to glow bright white. She touched Lee's forehead with all five fingers on her left hand.
"Do you recall your early days of your magic, Leona?" Saldana asked.
[Flashback]
Lee hugged her knees close to her chest in crying tears. There was water spreading all over the floor from Lee's feet, which then formed into large spikes around her bedroom.
"No...no..." Lee muttered.
Suddenly, Lee heard the door open that revealed her waking mother.
"Leona, what happened?" Saldana said in a worried voice as she walked in the room towards her daughter.
"I had...a bad dream." Leona replied as she got up from the floor and ran to hug Saldana tightly. "I'm sorry, mother.
Saldana picked up Lee in her arms. She held her right arm in the air and unleashed a gust of white energy that destroyed the solid water spikes and restored her daughter's room back to normal.
"Listen to me, Leona. As a mystic, the only way to prevent your magic out of control is to focus on keeping it under control." Saldana said as she sat on the bed and placed Lee on her knee. "There is always beauty in our magic, but without full control of our emotions, it can be very dangerous."
That made Lee gasp in fear.
"Starting tomorrow, you will focus and learn to control your water magic or it will spiral out of control." Saldana continued.
"Yes, mommy." Lee said with a nod.
Inside the dojo, Leona was looking through the sliding door to watch her sisters chatting and laughing in the dining room while eating their lunch. She was smiling too, but she was actually feeling sad that she has to stay inside the dojo to control her water magic.
Suddenly, the water began rising smoothly out from the nearby bowl and shaped itself into a large sphere that caught Lee's quick attention. Lee moved closer to the water sphere and saw something extraordinary from it. She saw a vivid image of a large, strong man standing on the clear blue lake. He was wearing a black hooded cloak. The man turned around to stare at Lee and sped forward as if he was zooming straight towards her. Lee backed away in fright, causing the water sphere to splash on the floor.
"I see you were able to see a vision through your water magic."
Lee turned around to see Saldana standing behind her as if she was watching the whole time.
"A vision?" Lee echoed.
"It requires time and concentration to make a vision through your magic." Saldana explained. "Remember what I've taught you. Focus through your spirit."
"Channel your power." Lee said.
"And master your emotions." Saldana and Lee finished.
Later on, things are getting worse in the dojo when the water from the vases in different corners was flooding the entire floor and forming into large spikes with Lee being unable to get control over it.
"Mother, I'm scared!" Lee said in a panic. "My magic is getting stronger! I don't know if I can control it anymore!"
"Getting upset only makes it worse, Leona." Saldana said softly as she reached close to comfort her daughter. "You have to calm down."
"No! Don't touch me! Please, mother, I don't want to hurt you." Lee said quickly as she backed away from her mother.
Saldana looked really worried that Lee's water magic will never be controlled. All she can do is sigh with concern.
Later that night, the full moon lit up the dark starry sky. Lee was sleeping peacefully on her bed. As she slept, Lee was having a dream unlike anything she ever experienced before. She ended up on a lake area with a full moon lighting the view and beautiful blue flowers.
"Wow." Lee said in amazement.
Suddenly, a man appeared out of nowhere and stood on the lake water. Lee quickly recognized that man from the water sphere earlier. She slowly walked forward to the lake, but she looked down and saw the lake water becoming motionless when she stepped into it.
"Don't be afraid, child." The man spoke in a calm tone. "Focus on your magic through the water."
Lee obeyed the man and began walking across the water, making it still with each step. She was impressed that the water did not drown her or being afraid of sinking down to the deep area of the water. With concentration, she continued to walk and stopped in front of the man.
"I can't believe I did it." Lee whispered with a surprising gasp.
"It seems you are focusing your magic very well, Leona." The man said.
"And who are you?" Lee asked.
"My name is Hisomi. I'm here to help you with your magic." The man replied.
"You can't help me with my magic." Lee said with a sad frown. "I don't want you getting hurt by me."
"I know. You will never hurt me, but the only way to control your magic is to let your fear go and embrace your magic. Now, focus on your magic and unleash it." Hisomi said.
Lee wasn't sure if she can do it, but she took a deep breath and concentrated on her magic. With a wave of her left hand, Lee started to experiment with her magic. Water whirled around her as she created dragons and large bubbles in the air with the wave of her hands. Lee formed a confident smile on her face as her ability to control water grew stronger and more powerful.
Thrilled to control her magic at last, Lee decided to do something that she knows she's capable of. She stomped her left foot on the water, making the liquidating water turn solid and formed into a large spade platform. With great strength, Lee looked around and slowly lifted her hands to create multiple rings of water around her body. She then shaped the rings into a large water steam and motioned it up in the air. With her hands closed together, the stream of water exploded itself and rained heavily all around the lake water.
"Yes! I...I did it! I really did it!" Lee cheered. She turned around and ran towards Hisomi to hug him. "Hisomi, I'm really glad you came to help me. I don't feel afraid anymore. I can control my magic now."
"You're welcome, Leona." Hisomi said as he patted Lee on the head.
"Will I see you again?" Lee asked.
"In time, you will, Leona." Hisomi replied.
Lee smiled pleasantly, leaving Hisomi stare at the young mystic softly.
[Flashback Ends]
Saldana smiled softly at that childhood memory.
"You ignored your fear before and you can do it again. Heal your spirit, my daughter. Come back to us." Saldana said.
Lee started making grunting sounds.
"Mo..ther…" Lee murmured.
Donna, Ellie, Ella, Saldana, Aaliyah, Irma, Ekron, Ryoko, and Phantom looked at the blue mystic kunoichi with shocked faces. Once Lee finally opened her eyes, she looked at them with a warm smile, making everyone cheer in happiness.
"It's good to have you back, sis." Ella said as she quickly hugged her older sister.
"Trust me, it's good to be back. And you…all of you to thank for helping me find my way." Lee said with a smile.
"Rest, my daughter." Saldana said. "You still have a long way of recovery. In fact, we should all be resting for a new day tomorrow. The danger is still out there, and we need to be our full strength now more than ever."
Lee nodded and closed her eyes into a soothing sleep.
Everyone started to walk away from the pool.
But Ryoko paused to look back at Lee. She flew over and landed on Lee's chest in the pool water. Lee detected the dragon with her aura sense and smiled in her sleep.
Back at the Shadow Clan tower, Lady Shade was looking at the holographic map that Sage presented her.
"How is this your evidential proof?" Lady Shade questioned.
"It gets better." Sage replied. She typed on her digital compact mirror and zoomed close to an image of a twenty-acre uninhabited island set on the ocean. The island also has a geodesic dome-shaped building on the surface. "This is my evidential proof. An island known as one of the city's unpopulated landmasses, which that leads to only one conclusion."
"The Lotus are alive on that island." Lady Shade said in realization.
"Precisely." Sage said. "Now, my reward?"
"You did promise me proof. My team of Shadow Technicians will deliver your reward to your lab in the morning." Lady Shade said. She stood up out of her throne chair and walked past Sage. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have an important meeting to attend to."
"Of course, mistress." Sage said with a bow.
After Lady Shade exited the main room, Sage let out a sinister smile on her face.
"And just like a fool, she took the bait." Sage said. "While she foolishly focused on her own business, I can finally get my hands on the mystical artifacts and unlock those secrets into my technological knowledge. Once I absorbed all the powers, I will triumph this city, starting with the Shadow Clan."
Sage laughed evilly.
Bare with me, folks. Since I got a job, my chapters are coming in slow these days. But I will continue this story. Review and enjoy.