-Chapter 93-

Riddle of the Ancient Aeons

The Ulixes approached the planet Xaava-Dal, but Honeycutt was forced to hide the ship in a nearby asteroid field when they saw a Triceraton cruiser hovering over the planet as well.

"Shit!" Raph cursed. "They got here first!"

"Full speed, Professor!" Leo ordered.

Honeycutt nodded, and jetted forward, cloaking the ship as they passed the cruiser. The minute they entered the planet's atmosphere, April and Hisako shuddered nervously.

"You feel that too, don't you?" April asked. "This world... it's radiating a strange power. Like pure evil."

"Yeah…" Hisako agreed, hugging Midnight close to her chest. "Like an aura of darkness is shrouding everything."

"Ooooowweeeeeooooooo…." Mikey sang ominously.

"MIKEY!" Both girls shouted, glaring at him.

Mikey held up his hands defensively. "Just trying to lighten the mood."

"Evil, you say?" Honeycutt asked. "Nonsense. This is Xaava-Dal. The oldest, most beautiful paradise planet in the universe. It is gorgeous down there."

The ship landed and everyone took in the landscape. It was dark, dreary, ominous- altogether, the exact opposite of Honeycutt's description.

"Beautiful and gorgeous, huh?" Kagome deadpanned, looking at him.

Honeycutt chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I am occasionally wrong."

"Yeah," Raph said flatly. "Like forgetting to warn us about ID checks, or not telling us about giant ice worms."

"Yes, yes," Honeycutt grumbled. "One mistake, and you're labeled for life."

"Professor, perhaps it would be best if we found the inhabitants of this planet before the Triceratons do," Splinter advised.

"Right." Honeycutt made a sound as if clearing his throat. "The sooner we find the fragment, the better."

"Agreed," Hisako said, pulling her jacket tighter around herself while continuing to hold Midnight close. "I do not like this place."

-X-

They all disembarked, everyone feeling uneasy at their surroundings.

"Whoa." Mikey let out. "This place is like-"

"Pure evil, maybe?" April provided. "Like Hisako and I sort of warned about earlier? Yeah, no one listens to the psychics."

"Hey Red, lay off," Casey warned.

April just rolled her eyes.

"This world… it was once a vast, beautiful garden," Honeycutt lamented. "It held ancient repositories of all the sacred knowledge in the cosmos. Not a single piece of technology was ever built here." He thought for a minute. "The Aeons must've fled. Without their divine power, look at this world."

"Everything went to shit…" Vee mused.

"Not exactly how I'd put it, but yes."

"What are the Aeons?" Donnie asked.

"Powerful, ancient aliens. The first beings to evolve in the universe. Now they've all gone away."

"So they abandoned their planet?" Raph asked. "Great. If there are zombies on this planet, I swear to God-"

"Oh, what, Raph?" Vee snapped suddenly. "If there are zombies here, you're gonna lose your cool and throw a bitch fit like you always do?"

"Oh look," Donnie snarked. "Raph's pissed off Vee. What else is new?"

The others looked on at them in confusion.

"Come on, guys," Leo insisted. "Let's just get the piece and get out of here."

"Nobody asked you, Bossy the Cow!" Donnie barked at him. "I should be leader! I'm the smart one!"

"You?" Kagome scoffed. "Don't make me laugh. You spend all your time in your lab! You couldn't lead a parade!"

"Oh, I suppose you could do better, rich girl?" Donnie shot back.

Kagome turned to Raph. "You gonna let your brother talk to me like that?"

"No," Raph replied. "But first, Mikey, you got something on your shell."

He pointed, and Mikey looked down; Raph immediately tweaked his nose and laughed. Rubbing his nose, Mikey scowled.

"Okay, that's it! I'm tired of you picking on me! Ever since we were little, you've been giving me shell wedgies, wet willies, and reptile rug burns, and-"

"Will you knock it OFF?!" Hisako screamed while Midnight barked in her arms. "For the love of Bushido!"

"That's enough! All of you!" All of them stopped, turning to Splinter. "None of us are of sound mind! The dark aura April and Hisako detected is affecting us!"

They all backed off from each other, the truth dawning on them.

"Guys, Splinter's right," Kagome said. "Ever since we landed here, I've felt this... insane rage. Like something's brewing inside me, just ready to explode."

"Heh," Mikey let out. "I just figured Raph was rubbing off on you."

Raph snarled at him, reeling back for a punch, but Splinter quickly caught his arm.

"Enough," he said sternly before glaring at his youngest son. "Michelangelo, that is not helping."

Leo looked at his father. "Dad, why aren't you affected?"

"You think I am not?" Indeed, his hand was shaking around his cane, and he had to force himself to release Raph. "The aura is indeed affecting me, Leonardo. But emotions can be channeled, and controlled. Focus on our goal here, and do not give in to the corruption."

"We'll try," Casey adjusted his grip on his hockey stick. "Not like we have a choice."

"You must all get ahold of yourselves. Don't make me smack you." Honeycutt warned, raising his right hand. "You see this? This is my smacking hand. I'll use it!"

They all recoiled briefly.

"Ten to one says a hand of metal would hurt more than one of flesh and blood," Vee remarked. "Okay. Let's get going."

They were about to start going when they heard a loud screech and froze up.

"Uh…" Casey squeaked out, "What was that?"

April and Hisako both gasped.

"Whatever it is…" April let out.

"It's pure evil!" Hisako finished.

"RUN!" both girls screamed.

They ran off, and soon, from the shadows swooped out multiple demonic creatures resembling humanoid bats with bright blue eyes. Midnight was immediately barking her head off at the creatures, her hackles raised.

"AHHH!" Mikey shrieked. "Demon bats!"

"Run for your lives!" Honeycutt screamed.

Eventually, they tripped in front of a stone monument. The demon bats loomed on them ominously, but suddenly reared up in fear and fled.

"And stay out!" Vee yelled as they did.

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "What was that all about?"

They looked up, seeing the monument they tripped over was actually a tall statue, depicting an angelic figure.

"Some kinda mystical guardian?" Leo asked.

"It's a depiction of the Aeons," Honeycutt explained.

"Whoa…" Casey mused. "They're cool looking."

"Guess the demon bats drove them off a long time ago," Raph muttered. "That's a total bummer."

"Bummer?" Leo repeated, whirling on him. "Look what happened to their world! You have about as much sensitivity as a rabid dog."

"Look, just because you're leader doesn't mean you have to get into everyone's face!"

"Don't start on that leader thing again, Raph! You've always been jealous of me!"

"Jealous?" Raph scoffed loudly at that. "Why wouldn't I be?! You were always Master Splinter's favorite!"

Splinter smacked them both with his staff at that.

"I have no favorites! You both know this!" he exclaimed before sighing and looking at Raph. "Raphael... how could you possibly think something like that?"

"How can I not ?" Raph snapped, glaring at him. "Always heaping praise on Leo! Always saying we should train harder and be more like him! 'Cause he's your absolutely perfect son who can do no wrong!"

"Enough!" Splinter shouted, slapping Raph across the face as the words left his mouth.

The sound instantly snapped everyone out of it. Splinter blinked, then looked down at his hand, instantly horrified as he realized what he'd just done.

"My son…" he let out, "forgive me."

Raph rubbed his smacked cheek, sighing. "No, I'm sorry. What I said was out of line."

"I did not know you felt that way. I never intended to make it seem I favor anyone."

"Guys, we gotta get off this rock," Donnie piped up. "I don't know how much more of this we can take."

"We still need the fragment," Honeycutt reminded them.

As this was going on, Vee examined the Aeon statue, noticing that its left arm was pointing in a specific direction.

"Guys, look at the statue's arm," she said, getting their attention. "It's like... a signpost or something."

"Maybe that's where we need to go," Hisako mused.

"In the absence of other options, I say let's go for it," Kagome decided.

-X-

They followed the statue's directions, eventually coming across a massive temple resembling an Aztec pyramid.

"Whoa…" everyone let out in awe.

"That is one dope alien temple, yo!" Casey exclaimed.

"The fragment's gotta be in there," April mused.

"Let's just hope the Triceratons didn't beat us," Leo added.

They headed for the temple entrance, stopping to take note of numerous sigils written in an alien language around the frame.

"Professor, what do you make of this?" Donnie asked.

"It's written in the Aeons' language," Honeycutt explained, examining them before reading the message aloud. "'When the Soul Star reaches the mountain's peak, the light of the Aeons shall illuminate all.'"

Hisako stuck out her tongue. "Mystic mumbo jumbo."

Vee put a hand on her chin in thought. "Sounds like a riddle."

"Well, I got nothing," Donnie remarked.

"Guess we'll have to figure it out," Raph decided.

They went inside, looking at a seemingly blank hallway.

"Careful, dudes," Mikey warned. "Old temples like this are always filled with booby traps."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "This isn't Indiana Jones, Mikey."

"Even so, be careful," Splinter said.

At that very moment, Casey noted a large button on the wall. "Yo, check it out. What's this button do?"

Before anyone could stop him, he pressed the button. Almost immediately, a buzzsaw ripped through the side of the wall, missing them by inches.

"It does that , you big dummy!" Donnie shouted.

"Splinter literally just said be careful!" April added. "Are you brain dead, Casey?!"

"When I see big buttons, I press them!" Casey defended. "I can't help it."

Hisako pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "Okay… we'll see how long you live with that approach!"

"Hey, I'm still alive, aren't I?" Casey replied.

"Yeah." Raph deadpanned. "But you're screwed up in the head."

Another buzzsaw came out of the wall, and Leo ducked it.

"Everybody move!" he yelled.

They ran down the hallway, narrowly avoiding buzzsaws as they went. Eventually, they jumped out of the hallway, landing in a rather large room, safe from the buzzsaws.

"Casey…" Raph began, glaring at him, "stop touching stuff!"

"You're not the boss of me!" Casey shot back.

Honeycutt jumped in, slapping them both.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," he pointed out as both rubbed their smacked cheeks.

With that, they took in their surroundings, seeing they were in some kind of altar room. They looked ahead, seeing the fragment of the Heart of Darkness they were looking for resting on the altar.

"There it is!" Mikey exclaimed, running for it, but Leo grabbed his bandana, stopping him in his tracks.

"Hold it!" he warned. "Booby traps, remember? Take it slow."

Mikey nodded at that, and they carefully approached the altar, looking it over.

"Weird," Kagome mused. "What's this thing doing on an altar? It's almost like... they were worshipping it."

"Worshipping a piece of a death machine?" Hisako asked. "I thought these guys were the peaceful type."

They reached the altar and Leo took the fragment. As he did so, Midnight noticed something on the ground. She jumped out of Hisako's arms, sniffing at the altar's supports. She then whined, pawing at several scratch marks that were visible.

"Hey guys," Hisako called out. "Midnight thinks there's something hidden under the altar."

Leo noticed it and nodded. Working together, he and Hisako pushed it aside, seeing some kind of star-shaped artifact in a secret compartment below.

"What's that thing?" Mikey questioned.

Honeycutt looked it over and gasped. "Oh my… That's the Soul Star! The symbol of the Aeons, containing the power of life itself."

"So it was hidden away and the world turned evil," April realized. "I get it now. 'When the Soul Star reaches the mountain's peak, the light of the Aeons shall illuminate all.'"

"It wasn't a riddle," Donnie deduced. "It was instructions!"

"So, if we put this thing back where it belongs, it'll save the planet and stop us from going nuts?" Casey asked.

"Yeah," April nodded. "Back on top of this temple."

"Well, that would be the right thing to do." Raph pointed out. "But the smart thing to do would be to cut our losses, take the fragment back to the ship, and scram before the Triceratons show up."

"And when have we ever done that, Raph?" Vee deadpanned.

"Dad," Leo said, turning to him, "you and the Professor should take the piece. The rest of us can take the Star."

"Of course." Splinter took the fragment. "Be careful."

As soon as he took it, a hole was blasted in the ceiling. They jumped, seeing a Triceraton with an eyepatch and a cybernetic right arm, flanked by two others. Hisako gasped, recognizing the leader.

"Mozar…" she gasped.

Mozar looked her over, his good eye going wide in recognition.

"Project Oracle…" he mused. "So you escaped Krang's clutches as well."

"I did. I... didn't think you'd remember me, or even notice me."

"I took many files from Krang when I escaped. One of which was yours."

"How'd you find us?"

"You should have burned that mark off of your neck." Hisako slapped her hand over the barcode on her neck, going pale. "Any who scan it can trace you no matter where you go."

"I… I'm a homing device…" Hisako let out, shaken by the news as she dropped to her knees.

"Now, let's get down to business, Gamarons. There's no need for this to get bloody. Just give me the fragment of the Heart of Darkness, and none of you will get hurt."

"Sorry pal, not gonna happen," Raph shot back. "We're not letting you destroy the Earth."

Mozar scowled, displaying his missing eye and prosthetic arm.

"You can't deny that Krang's very existence is a cancer upon this universe!" he spat. "He will just keep killing and ruining lives, and the cosmos are better off without him!"

"Ain't nobody denying that!" Casey spat. "But to take out an entire planet in the process?! That's something he would do!"

Mozar recoiled at that.

"Commander Mozar, it doesn't have to be this way," Leo said. "I can see you're an honorable warrior. Where's the honor in sacrificing millions of innocents?"

The commander almost seemed swayed. Then one of his men took his arm. "Sir, do not lose focus. You know what the penalty for failure is."

Mozar steeled his expression, tightening his fists. "My personal feelings are irrelevant. The Prime Leader's orders are absolute. Now this is your last chance. Hand over the fragment."

"No," Hisako said firmly, getting back to her feet.

Leo nodded at Splinter and Honeycutt and they quickly fled down the hallway.

"Sorry you have a shitty boss, but we won't let you destroy our home planet, Dino Beak!" Raph declared.

"So be it." Mozar lifted a hand into the air. "Triceratons, attack!"

Leo turned to April and Hisako. "You two, get the Soul Star to the top of the temple!"

"Got it!" both girls replied, taking the star and fleeing outside.

Mozar and his two lackeys jumped down, facing off with them. The group took in their intimidating figures.

"I'm… not the only one with a little bit of shit in his pants right now, am I?" Casey asked meekly.

"Casey, no one else here even wears pants," Mikey said matter-of-factly.

"Mikey, I'm right here!" Kagome snapped.

Nonetheless, they drew their weapons, ready for a fight. The Triceratons charged forward, trying to smash the ninjas. They scattered to avoid the blows, with Leo running towards them readying a sword. He deflected a few blasts before leaping towards a Triceraton and kicking him in the face. Before Leo could hit the ground, the Triceraton grabbed him by the leg and threw him across the room.

Raph meanwhile was dodging around the blasts of another Triceraton, distracting it long enough for Casey to shoot some photon pucks at their heads. The Triceraton turned to him as another puck went flying. He caught it, lobbing it back at Casey. Only a timely tackle from the red turtle saved his skin.

Meanwhile, Kagome ran towards one Triceraton and leapt behind it, slashing him in the back with her weapon. She tore through his uniform, but did little more than leave a shallow gash on his back. He then turned towards her and tried smashing her, but Donnie cracked him across the face with his staff.

"Thanks, Donnie," she said gratefully..

"Don't mention it."

Mikey and Vee were having their own difficulties. They were stuck back to back with Triceratons surrounding them. Vee turned towards Mikey, who gave her a nod before throwing a smoke bomb on the ground as the Triceratons charged at them. They ended up colliding with one another amidst the smoke, hopping down from the roof. They exchanged a high five, then continued the fight.

-X-

Hisako and April quickly scaled the temple, the Soul Star on April's back. As they neared the top, they heard a screech, and turned to see the winged creatures flying at them.

"Oh, crap!" April screamed. "The demon bats are back!"

"Get the crystal into position!" Hisako told her. "I'll hold them off!"

She turned on her heel, drawing her tessens and slashing at the bats as they swarmed her. She managed to tear through one of the bat's wings, a second blow getting one across the chest. One swiped at her and she narrowly avoided losing an eye to its sharp claws. One got her across the back and she fell, quickly spinning around breakdance style and getting back on her feet. She then threw both of her tessen in deadly arcs, cutting through several bats before the weapons returned to her hand and she jumped into the fray once again.

As this went on, April made it to the top. She had to cut away several dead vines and thick roots, but she eventually found an indentation in the roof, one the perfect size for the Star's point.

"Here goes nothing!" And with that, she slammed the Soul Star into the indentation.

The effects were instantaneous. A wave of power emanated from the Soul Star, purifying the entire planet. The demon bats stopped in their tracks, shifting around and becoming white and angelic in appearance. Both girls gasped at the sight as the beings looked among themselves in surprise.

"No way…" Hisako let out, stowing her weapons in amazement.

"The demon bats…" April gasped. "They didn't chase away the Aeons…"

"They were the Aeons," both said.

The Aeons looked at the two, then all floated down into the temple.

-X-

Within, the battle was in full swing, but the appearance of the ethereal angelic beings made everything stop.

"The Aeons!" Vee exclaimed.

"W-what is this?!" Mozar demanded.

One of the Aeons glared at him and raised its hand, a blinding light emanating from it. "Leave this place. Now."

Mozar backed up, and wisely decided to cut his losses.

"Retreat!" he ordered. "Now!"

The Triceratons turned and fled, and a powerful force began pushing them all back, speeding their retreat. With that, the Aeons turned to the Turtles and co.

"Thank you," the lead Aeon said. "You saved us from ourselves."

Donnie raised an eyebrow. "Yourselves?"

"Yeah, funny story," April piped up. "The demon bats were the Aeons the whole time."

"What happened to you guys?" Hisako asked. "What made you, and your planet, so dark?"

The lead Aeon sighed at the memory.

"The Utrom Mortu gave us the fragment to protect, but its immense power entranced us. We Aeons had never allowed technology on our world before. We desired to know its secrets. We began to worship its technological power, and hid away our beloved Soul. Thus corrupting our world, and us with it. We became monstrous, horrible things, and when we hid away our Star, the evil was complete."

"Whoa…" Casey let out.

"Well, your Star is back where it belongs." Leo pointed out. "And the Heart of Darkness will no longer plague your planet."

"Thank you, friends, for saving our world." the Aeon declared gratefully.

With that, it held out its hand, revealing two small crystals that it offered to Hisako and April.

"Take these gifts. They are tiny fragments of our Soul Star. They will bring you luck and power."

The girls took them, looking them over.

"Wow, they're beautiful," April remarked. "Thank you."

"We'll take good care of them," Hisako assured them. "Promise."

Later, the gang met back up on the ship, talking things over while Honeycutt placed the second fragment with the other in the hold.

"Okay," Kagome remarked. "You know Mortu's our pal... but he screwed up big time when he trusted the fragment to the Aeons."

"Yeah," Donnie agreed. "He nearly destroyed their whole planet."

"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely," Splinter mused. "A statement that rings true on any world."

April and Hisako said nothing, both of them looking over their Aeon crystals with small smiles on their faces. Already, the two felt more powerful and secure just holding them.

They felt… unstoppable.

Author's Note:

Another one bites the dust.

Please R&R. Until next time!