This is a tale unlike any other. A tale of trust. A tale of brotherhood. A tale of power. A tale of loss. This tale begins within the village of Vyskuer, where the hero of this tale trains alongside his master, Master Yoshi.

"Again." ordered the wise Master Yoshi, training his young student, Leo, a brave, daring, yet underconfident turtle, who longs to become a warrior, but feels he is not truly ready.

The young Leo draws his katana and heeds to his master's commands. His blade sharpened, he strikes at his master, who blocks the shot with his wooden cane.

"Again!"

The young turtle swiped his sword to his right, his master blocking once again.

"Again!"

For a third time the young student becomes aware of his master's quickness. Thinking of a new strategy, he swipes his leg under his master's feet, Yoshi leaping over his student's leg barely has enough time to see the blade coming at from the left and back over to his right. Yoshi blocks the strike, but his cane breaks in the impact. Yoshi stands there looking down at the split wooden stick. His student standing victorious, panting heavily. Yoshi looks at his student who has earned a bow of respect from his master.

That night, as they ate their dinner, the master praised his student for his improved skill.

"You have shown great strength my son." spoke the master, taking a bite of his dumpling "Soon you will be ready to face the darkness that comes."

"Master." spoke Leo, staring down at his full, untouched bowl of rice.

"Yes, my son?"

"The darkness... am I truly able to face it?"

"Not yet, but soon you will be. And when that time comes, after you've learned all you need to learn, I have confidence, faith that you will be ready to face it."

"I hope you're right master." sighed Leo, before being hit by an oncoming dumpling "Huh?"

"Consider that payback for breaking my walking stick." joked Master Yoshi, lifting his student's spirit.

Meanwhile, at the very top of the mountain, far to the North from where the village sat, The Shadowlord, the dreaded King of the Dark Realm, Oroko Saki and his army rode on horseback, prepared for the invasion of the village of Vyskuer.

"We're almost there, my lord." informed the Shadowlord's right hand, Hun.

"How much longer will it take to get there?" asked the Shadowlord's personal assassin, Ixnus.

"Patience." said the Shadowlord "We'll arrive there soon."

"But the master you spoke of, is he not wise? Surely he'll know we're coming and escape before we enter into the village."

"Doubtful." answered the Shadowlord "If I know Yoshi, he'll stay and fight like the fool he is."

"I trust you know what you're speaking of, my lord?" asked Ixnus.

"Have I steered you wrong yet?"

"No, my lord."

Ixnus stared at the village from the mountaintop, making his way down the other side of the mountain, following Hun and his king and the Shadow Army.

Early the next morning, before the sun rose over mountains, the student lay upon his bed, visions of blue flames swirled throughout his mind. An assassin clad in black and purple watched him with fire in his eyes. The village crumbled and burned as the assassin walked out of the gate, leaving Leo, cradling Master Yoshi's body in his arms. The screams of the villagers surrounded him, haunting him, shunning him. His eyes opened and he stood up on his wooden floor and looked outside from his window. In the distance he saw an army approaching on horseback, flags and torches raised high and canons being pulled. Leo ran from his window and to his master's bedroom.

"Master, trouble approaches." informed Leo.

Master Yoshi jumped up to his feet and ran out of the dojo with his student by his side.

"Go Leo, tell the guards what you saw, I'll make my way towards the tower and let everyone in the village know what's coming. Go."

Leo did as his master told him. Leaping upon a horse he rode off to the gates to warn the guards as Yoshi rode towards the tower on the other side of the village.

Once Leo reached the gate he yelled up towards the watchtower to the guards, but got no answer. Leo leaped off the horse and climbed up the ladder leading up to the watchtower only to find that the two guards at the top were dead, shot by arrows from the oncoming army. Leo leaped down onto the lower half of the gate and turned the wheel to close the gate before the army could enter.

"Man the canons." ordered The Shadowlord.

"Man the canons!" ordered Hun.

After closing the gate Leo made his down and got back onto his horse, but before he could go anywhere a nearby building crumbled into after being by a cannonball, startling the horse.

Outside of the village Ixnus turned towards The Shadowlord. The Shadowlord nodded, letting Ixnus know the time was right to invade the village. Ixnus lifted his bow, as did many of the others, and released their arrows into the walls in front of them. Ixnus and the other assassins leaped onto the wires attached to the arrows and began running along towards rooftops leading to the tower.

After Leo managed to calm his horse, he looked up and saw the assassins running along the rooftops towards the tower. Without thinking he rode after them, making sure to get to the tower before they do.

Meanwhile, Master Yoshi had finally approached the tower, not looking back he made his way inside and began running up the stairs to the very top.

In the village, almost halfway to the tower, Leo rode on before stopped by yet another crumbling, burning building. The building blocked his path to the tower, but Leo acted quickly and took a narrow shortcut between the buildings. Noticing the assassins have spotted him, and were aiming to shoot him Leo leaped off of his horse and jumped high over the rooftop of the building on his left, landed on it and took out two of the assassins before they could act. Leo ran along towards the tower, as the assassin on the left rooftop readied his bow. Leo blocked the arrow before it could hit him, as he approached the wall of a two floor building. Leo, ran across the corner of the wall, latching onto an oncoming arrow that had been implanted into the wall. The assassin on the other rooftop shot arrow after arrow after arrow, but Leo latched onto one after the other until he made it onto the roof of the two floor building. While there Leo noticed the head assassin, clad in black and purple, the same one he saw in his dream last night. He continued along the rooftops, focused on the assassin clad in purple and black.

At the top of the tower, Master Yoshi entered the room. Among was a pedestal, where two silver katana blades lay surrounded by torches lit with a blue flame. Yoshi approached the pedestal and took the katanas, hiding one away under his robe. He turned towards the door, but was stopped by Ixnus and his assassins.

"Hello Master Yoshi." greeted Ixnus.

"I assume you're one of Saki's."

"You assume correctly old man. Now do me a favor and hand over the blade."

"You'll never hold this blade... unless you kill me."

The Shadow Assassins readied to the battle the old master, but Ixnus put out his hand, ordering for them to stop.

"Let me handle him."

Ixnus drew his weapon, a bow staff with blades on each side. Master Yoshi, prepared for the assassin's tricks, readied himself for a long awaited fight.

"Now!" shouted Ixnus, throwing a smoke bomb covering the entire room in smoke.

Master Yoshi listened closely for the elusive assassin. Hearing someone from behind he swung his blade, using the same trick that his student used on him, but this foe proved to be too quick and and leaped over Yoshi's leg, blocking the strike coming from his right. Yoshi stepped back dodging Ixnus' staff as he swung it towards his abdomen, and then he leaned back as the second blade on the staff came close to slicing off his head. Yoshi back flipped, landing perfectly on the floor. After the smoke cleared the tower shook fiercely after being hit by a cannonball, causing one of the torches to fall and light the building on fire. The assassin and the master glanced at one another, as the blue flames engulfed the room. Ixnus swung his staff at Yoshi's side, but Yoshi blocked it with the katana. Ixnus swung once again at Yoshi's other side, but Yoshi blocked it as well. Ixnus lifted his staff and brought it down upon Yoshi, but Yoshi blocked the strike and kicked Ixnus in the chest sending back a few feet away. The two shared another glance as the room started shaking once again. The two ran towards the open window before the tower could tumble and fought fiercely on rooftop of the tower.

"I'll admit, you have skill despite your age." said Ixnus.

"That's the least I could say about you." retorted Yoshi, jumping onto Ixnus' staff as it hurled towards him, jumping off and landing on the very top of the tower.

Ixnus leaped onto the very top of the tower where Master Yoshi waited.

"You should give up. There's no way you can win." said Ixnus.

"We'll see."

Below the tower Leo approached and saw his master fighting the purple and black clad assassin at the very top. Seeing that the tower was about to fall he made his way inside, hoping he would be able to reach the top to help his master in the fight.

After five minutes of fighting the master and the assassin showed no signs of quitting. The master blocked each of Ixnus' shots, but did not strike back.

"Come on old man, have you forgotten how to fight? Strike me."

"Why? You are no danger to me."

Ixnus grew angry at Yoshi's insult. He swung his staff, fiercer and faster than before. Yoshi blocked one strike after another, until Ixnus changed his strategy and instead of swinging towards the side or from the top he pointed the blade of his staff at the master's abdomen, stabbing him.

"I see your words were all in vain." said Ixnus, pulling his blade from Yoshi's body "Now you can stay here and watch your precious village burn to the ground as you take your dying breath."

Ixnus picked up the sword that Yoshi had dropped and jumped off of the tower before it collapsed.

When the sun arose over the wreckage, the master lay upon the bed of the sacred tomb with the few remaining villagers surrounding it. Leo, wiping the wound of his master somehow managed to rescue him from the tower before it fell.

"Leo..."

"Master."

"Take the blade under my robe... go and search for three others like you... they will help you defeat the darkness."

"No... master... I'm not ready."

"You will be... I know it... I... I have... faith..."

With his master's dying words Leo reached into the robe, taking out a silver katana. Leo didn't feel worthy holding the blade, but he knew what his master wanted. Leo made his way towards the dojo, suiting himself up. He got upon his white horse, fully clothed in silver armor, a blue headband around his eyes and a black hood, to keep the enemy from noticing him. He rode out of the village as the villagers watched, hoping that he would be safe on his journey, and having that same faith that he will accomplish what he has set out to do. If only he had that same confidence in himself.