Sequel: Angel's Child ›
Golden Angel
Chapter 80
‘Too tired…to move…HELP…’
Artemis had found a resting spot on the couch after a walk through the sewers, and was now too weak to get back up again for a drink of water…
Everyone else was relaxing or, in Splinter and Leo’s case, training, and she didn’t want to disturb them…
Mitsukai nudged her owner sleepily, settling as the she-turtle patted her massive head.
She was using this as a distraction, something she seriously needed nowadays, when she tuned in to the smallest changes…
Leo’s rising pulse, the pace of the spar speeding up…
“Something tells me that the cork is about to pop on that unopened bottle…” Mikey noted worriedly.
“That hothead…” Raph agreed.
NOW Artemis knew there was a massive problem, and managed to push herself up onto her feet…
Turning to see the fight with her own eyes, worry flashed across her face…
“Leo…”
But it seemed like the anger had taken control, blinded him as his sole katana threatened to fall…
“LEO!”
It was instinct, instant reaction, to use Airbending to get her there in time…
The cut stung, though it wasn’t very deep, and the jade-skinned turtle put a hand to her cheek…
“ARTIE!!!!”
“PRINCESS!!!”
“ARTEMISIA!”
Everyone worriedly ran in, and Raph snapped at Leo, even though it was obvious the blue-masked turtle already felt guilty…
“Leo, what the shell is yer problem?!”
The gold-banded turtle pulled back from Mizu’s healing hand when she heard katana clatter to the floor, and Leo managed to push himself through the group.
“Love! Love, I’m so sorry!”
He put a hand on her cheek, where the faint scar of an unfinished healing showed pale on her skin.
“I’m sorry…”
There was a moment of silence as she looked up into his eyes, and then a gentle smile fell over her face…
“I already forgave you…”
“Leonardo.”
The stern voice of their father caught both turtle’s attention…
“Come with me.”
The blue-banded turtle followed reluctantly, and Mizu healed the scar away…
“Are you feeling alright?” Mikey asked worriedly.
“I’m fine…I just need to take a seat…”
Settling on a chair Chi brought in, Artemis breathed out as the weight left her legs and ankles…
“Ya sure yer a’right, princess?”
“It wasn’t that deep a cut, Raph…I’ll be fine…”
BE fine…
That was the key point…
Which meant she wasn’t fine NOW…
“Artemisia.”
The crimson-eyed turtle turned her head, giving her attention to her father.
“Please, come with me.”
“Alright…”
Mitsukai helped her owner carefully, a large, gentle hand on the she-turtle’s shell to keep her from falling back.
She settled into her father’s room beside Leo, rubbing her stomach as she felt the little baby start moving a bit.
“I want both of you to listen closely.” Splinter instructed, gaining their undivided attention.
“We were all badly wounded in our final confrontation with the Shredder…”
Artemis couldn’t argue with that…
She’d died that day…
“You’re brothers and sisters have healed, as have I, but you two have not. Do not think I haven’t noticed restless nights or unwarranted training sessions.”
The crimson-eyed turtle tried a sheepish smile…
“I have meditated long and hard on this, and now realize that…you are correct my son.”
“…What was he right about?”
“It is time for you both to move on. It is time for you to study with a new sensei.”
“But master, I don’t want a new sensei! I’m happy here with you!” Leo replied.
“Me, too! I have four teachers already! And I haven’t mastered Firebending yet! Or Ninjitsu!”
“No, my children. It is as it must be.”
“But Artemis isn’t in any condition to travel!”
“She has much time before the child comes…”
The elderly rat stood, going to his shelf of treasures.
“Now, there is only one master in the world that I would trust my children’s well-being to. He is wise, honorable, and highly-skilled. He is called the Ancient One, and he was the sensei to MY sensei, Hamato Yoshi. You two must make a pilgrimage. A pilgrimage half-way across the world.”
‘And far away from my family…’
“Come. Let’s prepare you for your journey.”
Both nodded reluctantly, and Artemis took hold of Leo’s hand…
‘Too late to turn back, I guess…’
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Artemis had immediately decided they’d take Mitsukai on the trip over the ocean, reasoning that it would be safer all around.
Leo had reluctantly agreed, putting their bags on her back as both pulled on trench coats to keep warm.
Their goodbyes were long and hard, especially when Mikey weighed Artemis’s leg down with his own body so she couldn’t walk.
Even Chi had given her a hug.
The two set off late at night, the dark sky gaining stars the further off over the ocean they went…
“Artemis?”
She turned her head back a bit, still steering the Sky Bison.
“Yeah, Leo?”
“…You know…I didn’t mean to…”
“I know. But we’ve already forgiven each other, remember?”
“…I know…”
It took a whole night of traveling by Sky Bison, silently, to finally see Japan in the distance.
Daybreak was allowing the sun to appear over the horizon, and Mitsukai landed easily.
“Time to stretch our legs.” Leo decided, jumping down.
Artemis followed him more carefully, still taking the reins to lead the Sky Bison as they headed on their way.
Leo led them through unoccupied areas of Japan, and soon decided to have Artemis ride her pet.
She couldn’t walk for very long, what with her entering her third trimester and her ankles starting to swell from the weight.
Soon, snow and biting wind covered the landscape, and Leo huddled in his jacket as he led Mitsukai along.
The shaggy creature didn’t seem to mind the weather, and instead tried her best to warm her owner.
Walls and snow-frozen rocks appeared on either side, and they were heading for a pass when two large shadows appeared on either side.
They were massive and furry, and were almost twice as tall as Mitsukai.
Leo didn’t falter, still leading the now-bristling bison closer, when both drew harsh-looking blades.
“None shall pass!” One growled.
“What is it that you seek?”
“We seek the Ancient One.” The blue-banded turtle replied.
“YOU seek the Ancient One?”
“You, funny little green people? You not even old enough to be adult. You children. Itty bitty children.”
A wave of snow smacked that one in the face, and he was faced with a fiery-eyed Artemis.
“Say that again. I DARE you.”
He didn’t seem to want to take the dare now…
Like he knew exactly what she was…
“Just go home.”
“I didn’t come all this way just to turn around and go home!” Leo replied, dropping his pack so he could unsheathe his katana.
Both ‘abominable snowmen’ defended themselves rather well, and one stepped on Leo to keep him down.
Both were faced with an angry, roaring Mitsukai and a flaming Artemis…
She may have been pregnant, and too slow to attack up close and personal, but that sure as SHELL did NOT mess with her aim…
Both snowmen seemed to realize she wasn’t attacking out of rage or anger or hate, but a protective love that made her aim truer than anything else.
“Have you learned a lesson, little one?” One of the creatures asked, moving back with his ‘brother’.
“A warrior that attacks in anger…”
“Is a warrior that never wins…”
Sheathing their weapons, they seemed MUCH more cooperative…
“That is the lesson…”
“Travel to that rock face until your shadow is in front of you…Walk on your shadow with your eyes closed for seven paces…Open your eyes and you will have reached the Hidden Land…”
“And remember the lesson…”
Leo tugged the leather reins, and Mitsukai carefully stepped forward and through the pass.
When Artemis looked back, the two brothers had disappeared in a swirl of snow before her very eyes…
“Well…no one said it wasn’t going to get weird…”
“But it always does, love.”
The snow grew deeper, harder for them to walk through, and the blue-masked, brown-eyed turtle stopped when he saw his shadow before him.
Everyone looked up to see a land that looked to be in perpetual summer, with singing birds and bright sunshine.
Artemis slid down to walk for a bit along a dirt-packed path carved amid the green grass, and Mitsukai shook her fur out, flying above them.
The sun began to set, a golden/orange light bathing the landscape, when both turtles spotted an old, squat man sitting on the roadside.
A fart sound…
Trained from Mikey’s disgusting habits, the jade-skinned she-turtle hardly blinked, though Leo obviously found the smell a bit much…
The old man chuckled.
“Nice one, eh?”
“You sure gave my little brother a run for his money…” Artemis agreed, smiling politely.
“Um, sir. Could you help us with some directions? We’re trying to find the way to someone called the Ancient One.”
Recognition flashed across the heavy man’s face, and Mitsukai landed lightly to see what was going on.
“Ancient One, eh? Trust me, I know the way to that old windbag, but it gonna cost you.”
“Cost what?” Artemis wondered.
“You got any yen? Give me yen! You got dollars? Give me dollars!”
“We don’t have any money.” Leo admitted.
“Give me food then!”
“But we don’t have much of that, either.”
“WELL…”
Artemis smiled sheepishly, pulling her back from Mitsukai’s mouth and pulling out a bar of chocolate.
“My cravings were getting bad, so I brought some extra…”
“Chocolate? Give me chocolate!”
The man jumped to his feet faster than she expected, causing Artemis to quirk an eye-ridge, but she still handed some over.
She put it away as he ate the piece in one bite, smearing chocolate around his mouth in his haste.
“You have more! Gimme!”
Slipping into the look of a mother asking questions, the jade-skinned turtle shook her head.
“Not now. You can have it later, after you show us the way to the Ancient One.”
“You drive a hard bargain, missy.”
“I can.”
“Are you sure you know the way to the Ancient One?”
“All roads lead to the Ancient One, monkey boy.” He replied, walking off the path as another fart sounded.
Artemis snorted in laughter, covering her mouth, but her laughs died down when Leo gave her an irritated glare.
“…Sorry, love…”
“But some roads are shorter than others.”
“But the road continues in THIS direction…” Leo pointed out.
“I said some roads are shorter than others. That means a shortcut, stupid!”
“He’s got you there, Leo…”
“Don’t start, Artemis…”
Another fart, and both rolled their eyes, leading an unwilling Mitsukai after the squat man.
When the sky darkened to a deep black dotted with silvery stars, and there was no more light to see by, they settled down to camp for the night.
After starting a fire, Artemis snuggled into her Sky Bison’s side, already beginning to doze.
She couldn’t fully sleep, not with so many farts going on, and she could still sense what was going on around her rather well.
A strange sound cut through the air, and everyone perked except their guide.
Mitsukai seemed ready to roar and bristle, but Artemis soothed the agitated creature.
If they were going to strike, it wouldn’t be wise to give themselves away…
Leo jumped up, drawing his katana in order to prepare himself for a fight, when the old man sighed.
“It is only demon ghosts coming down the trail.”
“…So there are evil demon ghosts heading towards us…AND YOU DON’T THINK THAT’S A BAD THING!?!”
The sound was getting closer, and Leo tensed…
“Don’t be so tense, monkey-turtle. If we don’t bother them, they won’t bother us. Remain silent, and they will continue on their ghostly way.”
Mitsukai was finally settled, and Artemis was looking further off as the specters came into view…
They looked like undead monsters with crude blades…
Leo had already sheathed his katana and settled down, and it seemed the apparitions were walking by them…
Until a fart sounded…
“What? It’s just air.”
“Tell that to them!” Leo replied, jumping up to fight off the angry-looking ghosts.
Artemis would have joined him, but Mitsukai wouldn’t allow it…
The old man went through their packs as Leo tried not to get himself killed…
“Do you have to do that NOW?” The she-turtle demanded, voice laced with irritation and worry.
“YES!”
Artemis glared, looking back at the fight as she tried to free herself.
“Poor dumb cumquat…”
A growl, and he saw the angry glow in her eyes…
“That’s my mate your talking about. Don’t push it.”
Probably not wanting to pursue that road of conversation, their guide turned to give Leo advice…
“How about surrendering?”
“What?! THAT’S your advice?! That’s ridiculous!!”
“Just say ‘I surrender’!”
“But that’s stupid!!” Leo retorted.
Unfortunately, it seemed he wasn’t faring very well…
“To surrender is not the warrior’s way!!”
“There won’t be much of a warrior without a head!”
“LEO!”
He saw the worry in her eyes, and realized that if he kept fighting, he’d be leaving her all alone…
“…I surrender!”
The blades stopped, and the specters drifted off as if nothing had happened…
Leo dropped to his knees, exhausted from the battle, and Artemis managed to make it to his side…
“Love, are you okay?”
“I lost…I failed…”
“Don’t even say that!”
Both men jumped at the sudden shout, and turned to a teary-eyed jade-skinned turtle…
“You didn’t fail! How many times do I have to tell you that? If anything, I failed!”
The tears escaped her, and a sob wracked her chest…
“For kami’s sake, you could have been killed, Leo! And what would I have done then? There’s nothing I could have done!”
He covered her mouth, stopping the rambling…
“But I DIDN’T…Now don’t cry, love…” He soothed, wiping away her tears…
“You both can learn something very important from each other.” The old man stated.
“The warrior that never fails never learns.”
Artemis gave a faint nod, meaning she understood, and looked up at the night sky…
A shooting star sped by, and she made a wish…
‘I wish that we could go home soon…’
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Daytime came faster than anyone was happy for, and they continued on their way to another path.
This specific one led to a rock face, and, sitting on the top, was their destination.
A large castle, with a high wall.
“End of the trail, monkey-turtle.”
FART…
“Ancient One lives on top of this mountain. He lives in a temple.”
“We see that…”
“Let’s go.” Leo ordered, and the squat man jumped onto his shell as Artemis twitched the reins upwards.
“The temple grounds are perilous to those who are unworthy. You think yourself worthy? Cumquat? Go-ruden tenshi?”
Go-ruden tenshi…
Golden angel…
Artemis wondered why he called her that as both nodded.
“Okay…you’re funerals…”
“What makes you think YOU’RE worthy?” Leo retorted.
“This.”
FART…
“…You HAD to ask, didn’t you Leo?”
As the Sky Bison started flying up, Artemis spread her wings and flew up ahead of her as Leo scaled the rock wall.
Landing lightly on the top, she looked down to see how they were keeping up…
“Come on, love! You can make it!”
Mitsukai roared encouragingly, settling down once the blue-banded turtle made it up.
Following the trail again, which was starting to numb the crimson-eyed turtle’s brain, they went through the gates.
Their guide jumped down from Leo’s shell, farting…
“…He’s starting to make me miss Mikey…”
“The temple of the Ancient One lies within.”
FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAART…
“Prepare yourselves!”
He ran in, and the two turtles followed at a fast pace through the doors…
‘I can’t run for too long…’
The wooden halls and floors sped by, leaving Mitsukai outside in a worried panic, when the man stopped.
Artemis almost tripped over him…
“Now you must prove yourselves against your most dangerous adversaries.”
The ground in the garden shook, making two massive rock creatures…
“I smell your failure…You are not worthy…”
“You can’t psych me out!” The gold-banded turtle retorted, bringing up water from the grass to knock it back.
“You’re frightened…A scared little girl…”
“Shut up!”
Air slashed at the rock creatures chest…
“You don’t know me!”
“I know you better than you know yourself!”
A punch grazed her, and images of her nightmare with ‘the creature’ flashed before her eyes…
Pictures of their final fight with the Shredder…
Their first fight with him…
Her fight with Leo…
She still felt blood on her skin, guilt coating her insides…
She caught the massive fist…
“I’m sorry…But I did my best!”
She threw the creature away with Earthbending…
“I did everything I could!”
She brought up a wall to stop the bull-rush…
“There’s nothing more I could have done! Could have given!”
“If there was no more you could have done, why do you punish yourself so?”
A moment of contemplation, of awareness…
Like she was back in the Spirit World with her past life…
“…Thank you…”
Rock fell away from her opponents head, revealing it to be herself, and they bowed to each other.
As the rock crumbled, Artemis narrowed her eyes in thought…
‘Look beneath the underneath…Kunoichi rule number one…’
A smile spread across her face, and she turned to the squat old man.
“You’re pretty tricky, Ancient One. I’ve got to admit, it even took me a while to figure it all out.”
She bowed respectfully, or as much as she COULD, and grinned.
“I’m honored.”
“Took you two long enough.”
The Ancient One led them inside, and made some tea as Artemis rubbed her plastron, feeling it kick.
“Now, Leonardo. Tell an old man what you think you have learned.”
Leo took the bowl gratefully, thinking over his reply…
“I guess…I’ve been…I’ve been obsessed with failing…I hardened my heart like a rock…Wrapped up inside my own shell…Thinking I wasn’t good enough…That I needed to be better…So angry…So-OW!!!”
Artemis almost spat out her tea in laughter at the pout on Leo’s face…
“Too many words. Explain simply.”
“…I’ve been my own worst enemy.”
“Much better. Artemisia?”
Not wanting to get smacked on the head, the jade-skinned turtle narrowed her eyes in thought…
“I’m guessing…My own strengths became my weaknesses because I was trying to redeem myself. Don’t tell me I used too many words…”
“Now relax and enjoy your tea, and let me tell you a tale of Master Yoshi. When Yoshi found himself at a crossroads, not too different from your own…”
Artemis settled, hearing Mitsukai settled outside in a garden for some rest…
‘I guess this won’t be so bad…’
Artemis had found a resting spot on the couch after a walk through the sewers, and was now too weak to get back up again for a drink of water…
Everyone else was relaxing or, in Splinter and Leo’s case, training, and she didn’t want to disturb them…
Mitsukai nudged her owner sleepily, settling as the she-turtle patted her massive head.
She was using this as a distraction, something she seriously needed nowadays, when she tuned in to the smallest changes…
Leo’s rising pulse, the pace of the spar speeding up…
“Something tells me that the cork is about to pop on that unopened bottle…” Mikey noted worriedly.
“That hothead…” Raph agreed.
NOW Artemis knew there was a massive problem, and managed to push herself up onto her feet…
Turning to see the fight with her own eyes, worry flashed across her face…
“Leo…”
But it seemed like the anger had taken control, blinded him as his sole katana threatened to fall…
“LEO!”
It was instinct, instant reaction, to use Airbending to get her there in time…
The cut stung, though it wasn’t very deep, and the jade-skinned turtle put a hand to her cheek…
“ARTIE!!!!”
“PRINCESS!!!”
“ARTEMISIA!”
Everyone worriedly ran in, and Raph snapped at Leo, even though it was obvious the blue-masked turtle already felt guilty…
“Leo, what the shell is yer problem?!”
The gold-banded turtle pulled back from Mizu’s healing hand when she heard katana clatter to the floor, and Leo managed to push himself through the group.
“Love! Love, I’m so sorry!”
He put a hand on her cheek, where the faint scar of an unfinished healing showed pale on her skin.
“I’m sorry…”
There was a moment of silence as she looked up into his eyes, and then a gentle smile fell over her face…
“I already forgave you…”
“Leonardo.”
The stern voice of their father caught both turtle’s attention…
“Come with me.”
The blue-banded turtle followed reluctantly, and Mizu healed the scar away…
“Are you feeling alright?” Mikey asked worriedly.
“I’m fine…I just need to take a seat…”
Settling on a chair Chi brought in, Artemis breathed out as the weight left her legs and ankles…
“Ya sure yer a’right, princess?”
“It wasn’t that deep a cut, Raph…I’ll be fine…”
BE fine…
That was the key point…
Which meant she wasn’t fine NOW…
“Artemisia.”
The crimson-eyed turtle turned her head, giving her attention to her father.
“Please, come with me.”
“Alright…”
Mitsukai helped her owner carefully, a large, gentle hand on the she-turtle’s shell to keep her from falling back.
She settled into her father’s room beside Leo, rubbing her stomach as she felt the little baby start moving a bit.
“I want both of you to listen closely.” Splinter instructed, gaining their undivided attention.
“We were all badly wounded in our final confrontation with the Shredder…”
Artemis couldn’t argue with that…
She’d died that day…
“You’re brothers and sisters have healed, as have I, but you two have not. Do not think I haven’t noticed restless nights or unwarranted training sessions.”
The crimson-eyed turtle tried a sheepish smile…
“I have meditated long and hard on this, and now realize that…you are correct my son.”
“…What was he right about?”
“It is time for you both to move on. It is time for you to study with a new sensei.”
“But master, I don’t want a new sensei! I’m happy here with you!” Leo replied.
“Me, too! I have four teachers already! And I haven’t mastered Firebending yet! Or Ninjitsu!”
“No, my children. It is as it must be.”
“But Artemis isn’t in any condition to travel!”
“She has much time before the child comes…”
The elderly rat stood, going to his shelf of treasures.
“Now, there is only one master in the world that I would trust my children’s well-being to. He is wise, honorable, and highly-skilled. He is called the Ancient One, and he was the sensei to MY sensei, Hamato Yoshi. You two must make a pilgrimage. A pilgrimage half-way across the world.”
‘And far away from my family…’
“Come. Let’s prepare you for your journey.”
Both nodded reluctantly, and Artemis took hold of Leo’s hand…
‘Too late to turn back, I guess…’
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Artemis had immediately decided they’d take Mitsukai on the trip over the ocean, reasoning that it would be safer all around.
Leo had reluctantly agreed, putting their bags on her back as both pulled on trench coats to keep warm.
Their goodbyes were long and hard, especially when Mikey weighed Artemis’s leg down with his own body so she couldn’t walk.
Even Chi had given her a hug.
The two set off late at night, the dark sky gaining stars the further off over the ocean they went…
“Artemis?”
She turned her head back a bit, still steering the Sky Bison.
“Yeah, Leo?”
“…You know…I didn’t mean to…”
“I know. But we’ve already forgiven each other, remember?”
“…I know…”
It took a whole night of traveling by Sky Bison, silently, to finally see Japan in the distance.
Daybreak was allowing the sun to appear over the horizon, and Mitsukai landed easily.
“Time to stretch our legs.” Leo decided, jumping down.
Artemis followed him more carefully, still taking the reins to lead the Sky Bison as they headed on their way.
Leo led them through unoccupied areas of Japan, and soon decided to have Artemis ride her pet.
She couldn’t walk for very long, what with her entering her third trimester and her ankles starting to swell from the weight.
Soon, snow and biting wind covered the landscape, and Leo huddled in his jacket as he led Mitsukai along.
The shaggy creature didn’t seem to mind the weather, and instead tried her best to warm her owner.
Walls and snow-frozen rocks appeared on either side, and they were heading for a pass when two large shadows appeared on either side.
They were massive and furry, and were almost twice as tall as Mitsukai.
Leo didn’t falter, still leading the now-bristling bison closer, when both drew harsh-looking blades.
“None shall pass!” One growled.
“What is it that you seek?”
“We seek the Ancient One.” The blue-banded turtle replied.
“YOU seek the Ancient One?”
“You, funny little green people? You not even old enough to be adult. You children. Itty bitty children.”
A wave of snow smacked that one in the face, and he was faced with a fiery-eyed Artemis.
“Say that again. I DARE you.”
He didn’t seem to want to take the dare now…
Like he knew exactly what she was…
“Just go home.”
“I didn’t come all this way just to turn around and go home!” Leo replied, dropping his pack so he could unsheathe his katana.
Both ‘abominable snowmen’ defended themselves rather well, and one stepped on Leo to keep him down.
Both were faced with an angry, roaring Mitsukai and a flaming Artemis…
She may have been pregnant, and too slow to attack up close and personal, but that sure as SHELL did NOT mess with her aim…
Both snowmen seemed to realize she wasn’t attacking out of rage or anger or hate, but a protective love that made her aim truer than anything else.
“Have you learned a lesson, little one?” One of the creatures asked, moving back with his ‘brother’.
“A warrior that attacks in anger…”
“Is a warrior that never wins…”
Sheathing their weapons, they seemed MUCH more cooperative…
“That is the lesson…”
“Travel to that rock face until your shadow is in front of you…Walk on your shadow with your eyes closed for seven paces…Open your eyes and you will have reached the Hidden Land…”
“And remember the lesson…”
Leo tugged the leather reins, and Mitsukai carefully stepped forward and through the pass.
When Artemis looked back, the two brothers had disappeared in a swirl of snow before her very eyes…
“Well…no one said it wasn’t going to get weird…”
“But it always does, love.”
The snow grew deeper, harder for them to walk through, and the blue-masked, brown-eyed turtle stopped when he saw his shadow before him.
Everyone looked up to see a land that looked to be in perpetual summer, with singing birds and bright sunshine.
Artemis slid down to walk for a bit along a dirt-packed path carved amid the green grass, and Mitsukai shook her fur out, flying above them.
The sun began to set, a golden/orange light bathing the landscape, when both turtles spotted an old, squat man sitting on the roadside.
A fart sound…
Trained from Mikey’s disgusting habits, the jade-skinned she-turtle hardly blinked, though Leo obviously found the smell a bit much…
The old man chuckled.
“Nice one, eh?”
“You sure gave my little brother a run for his money…” Artemis agreed, smiling politely.
“Um, sir. Could you help us with some directions? We’re trying to find the way to someone called the Ancient One.”
Recognition flashed across the heavy man’s face, and Mitsukai landed lightly to see what was going on.
“Ancient One, eh? Trust me, I know the way to that old windbag, but it gonna cost you.”
“Cost what?” Artemis wondered.
“You got any yen? Give me yen! You got dollars? Give me dollars!”
“We don’t have any money.” Leo admitted.
“Give me food then!”
“But we don’t have much of that, either.”
“WELL…”
Artemis smiled sheepishly, pulling her back from Mitsukai’s mouth and pulling out a bar of chocolate.
“My cravings were getting bad, so I brought some extra…”
“Chocolate? Give me chocolate!”
The man jumped to his feet faster than she expected, causing Artemis to quirk an eye-ridge, but she still handed some over.
She put it away as he ate the piece in one bite, smearing chocolate around his mouth in his haste.
“You have more! Gimme!”
Slipping into the look of a mother asking questions, the jade-skinned turtle shook her head.
“Not now. You can have it later, after you show us the way to the Ancient One.”
“You drive a hard bargain, missy.”
“I can.”
“Are you sure you know the way to the Ancient One?”
“All roads lead to the Ancient One, monkey boy.” He replied, walking off the path as another fart sounded.
Artemis snorted in laughter, covering her mouth, but her laughs died down when Leo gave her an irritated glare.
“…Sorry, love…”
“But some roads are shorter than others.”
“But the road continues in THIS direction…” Leo pointed out.
“I said some roads are shorter than others. That means a shortcut, stupid!”
“He’s got you there, Leo…”
“Don’t start, Artemis…”
Another fart, and both rolled their eyes, leading an unwilling Mitsukai after the squat man.
When the sky darkened to a deep black dotted with silvery stars, and there was no more light to see by, they settled down to camp for the night.
After starting a fire, Artemis snuggled into her Sky Bison’s side, already beginning to doze.
She couldn’t fully sleep, not with so many farts going on, and she could still sense what was going on around her rather well.
A strange sound cut through the air, and everyone perked except their guide.
Mitsukai seemed ready to roar and bristle, but Artemis soothed the agitated creature.
If they were going to strike, it wouldn’t be wise to give themselves away…
Leo jumped up, drawing his katana in order to prepare himself for a fight, when the old man sighed.
“It is only demon ghosts coming down the trail.”
“…So there are evil demon ghosts heading towards us…AND YOU DON’T THINK THAT’S A BAD THING!?!”
The sound was getting closer, and Leo tensed…
“Don’t be so tense, monkey-turtle. If we don’t bother them, they won’t bother us. Remain silent, and they will continue on their ghostly way.”
Mitsukai was finally settled, and Artemis was looking further off as the specters came into view…
They looked like undead monsters with crude blades…
Leo had already sheathed his katana and settled down, and it seemed the apparitions were walking by them…
Until a fart sounded…
“What? It’s just air.”
“Tell that to them!” Leo replied, jumping up to fight off the angry-looking ghosts.
Artemis would have joined him, but Mitsukai wouldn’t allow it…
The old man went through their packs as Leo tried not to get himself killed…
“Do you have to do that NOW?” The she-turtle demanded, voice laced with irritation and worry.
“YES!”
Artemis glared, looking back at the fight as she tried to free herself.
“Poor dumb cumquat…”
A growl, and he saw the angry glow in her eyes…
“That’s my mate your talking about. Don’t push it.”
Probably not wanting to pursue that road of conversation, their guide turned to give Leo advice…
“How about surrendering?”
“What?! THAT’S your advice?! That’s ridiculous!!”
“Just say ‘I surrender’!”
“But that’s stupid!!” Leo retorted.
Unfortunately, it seemed he wasn’t faring very well…
“To surrender is not the warrior’s way!!”
“There won’t be much of a warrior without a head!”
“LEO!”
He saw the worry in her eyes, and realized that if he kept fighting, he’d be leaving her all alone…
“…I surrender!”
The blades stopped, and the specters drifted off as if nothing had happened…
Leo dropped to his knees, exhausted from the battle, and Artemis managed to make it to his side…
“Love, are you okay?”
“I lost…I failed…”
“Don’t even say that!”
Both men jumped at the sudden shout, and turned to a teary-eyed jade-skinned turtle…
“You didn’t fail! How many times do I have to tell you that? If anything, I failed!”
The tears escaped her, and a sob wracked her chest…
“For kami’s sake, you could have been killed, Leo! And what would I have done then? There’s nothing I could have done!”
He covered her mouth, stopping the rambling…
“But I DIDN’T…Now don’t cry, love…” He soothed, wiping away her tears…
“You both can learn something very important from each other.” The old man stated.
“The warrior that never fails never learns.”
Artemis gave a faint nod, meaning she understood, and looked up at the night sky…
A shooting star sped by, and she made a wish…
‘I wish that we could go home soon…’
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Daytime came faster than anyone was happy for, and they continued on their way to another path.
This specific one led to a rock face, and, sitting on the top, was their destination.
A large castle, with a high wall.
“End of the trail, monkey-turtle.”
FART…
“Ancient One lives on top of this mountain. He lives in a temple.”
“We see that…”
“Let’s go.” Leo ordered, and the squat man jumped onto his shell as Artemis twitched the reins upwards.
“The temple grounds are perilous to those who are unworthy. You think yourself worthy? Cumquat? Go-ruden tenshi?”
Go-ruden tenshi…
Golden angel…
Artemis wondered why he called her that as both nodded.
“Okay…you’re funerals…”
“What makes you think YOU’RE worthy?” Leo retorted.
“This.”
FART…
“…You HAD to ask, didn’t you Leo?”
As the Sky Bison started flying up, Artemis spread her wings and flew up ahead of her as Leo scaled the rock wall.
Landing lightly on the top, she looked down to see how they were keeping up…
“Come on, love! You can make it!”
Mitsukai roared encouragingly, settling down once the blue-banded turtle made it up.
Following the trail again, which was starting to numb the crimson-eyed turtle’s brain, they went through the gates.
Their guide jumped down from Leo’s shell, farting…
“…He’s starting to make me miss Mikey…”
“The temple of the Ancient One lies within.”
FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAART…
“Prepare yourselves!”
He ran in, and the two turtles followed at a fast pace through the doors…
‘I can’t run for too long…’
The wooden halls and floors sped by, leaving Mitsukai outside in a worried panic, when the man stopped.
Artemis almost tripped over him…
“Now you must prove yourselves against your most dangerous adversaries.”
The ground in the garden shook, making two massive rock creatures…
“I smell your failure…You are not worthy…”
“You can’t psych me out!” The gold-banded turtle retorted, bringing up water from the grass to knock it back.
“You’re frightened…A scared little girl…”
“Shut up!”
Air slashed at the rock creatures chest…
“You don’t know me!”
“I know you better than you know yourself!”
A punch grazed her, and images of her nightmare with ‘the creature’ flashed before her eyes…
Pictures of their final fight with the Shredder…
Their first fight with him…
Her fight with Leo…
She still felt blood on her skin, guilt coating her insides…
She caught the massive fist…
“I’m sorry…But I did my best!”
She threw the creature away with Earthbending…
“I did everything I could!”
She brought up a wall to stop the bull-rush…
“There’s nothing more I could have done! Could have given!”
“If there was no more you could have done, why do you punish yourself so?”
A moment of contemplation, of awareness…
Like she was back in the Spirit World with her past life…
“…Thank you…”
Rock fell away from her opponents head, revealing it to be herself, and they bowed to each other.
As the rock crumbled, Artemis narrowed her eyes in thought…
‘Look beneath the underneath…Kunoichi rule number one…’
A smile spread across her face, and she turned to the squat old man.
“You’re pretty tricky, Ancient One. I’ve got to admit, it even took me a while to figure it all out.”
She bowed respectfully, or as much as she COULD, and grinned.
“I’m honored.”
“Took you two long enough.”
The Ancient One led them inside, and made some tea as Artemis rubbed her plastron, feeling it kick.
“Now, Leonardo. Tell an old man what you think you have learned.”
Leo took the bowl gratefully, thinking over his reply…
“I guess…I’ve been…I’ve been obsessed with failing…I hardened my heart like a rock…Wrapped up inside my own shell…Thinking I wasn’t good enough…That I needed to be better…So angry…So-OW!!!”
Artemis almost spat out her tea in laughter at the pout on Leo’s face…
“Too many words. Explain simply.”
“…I’ve been my own worst enemy.”
“Much better. Artemisia?”
Not wanting to get smacked on the head, the jade-skinned turtle narrowed her eyes in thought…
“I’m guessing…My own strengths became my weaknesses because I was trying to redeem myself. Don’t tell me I used too many words…”
“Now relax and enjoy your tea, and let me tell you a tale of Master Yoshi. When Yoshi found himself at a crossroads, not too different from your own…”
Artemis settled, hearing Mitsukai settled outside in a garden for some rest…
‘I guess this won’t be so bad…’