The Oni's Flame

Branches and Druun

"What is this thing?" Casey asked. We jumped into the Tank as Donnie started it and began to drive into the surface.

"Hold on to your gluteus maximi," Donnie told him, chuckling.

"The Turtle Tank, baby!" Mikey squeaked cheerfully. "It's how we roll in the past. I mean, the present. I mean..." He became very confused. "Oh. Time travel is confusing."

"And I can't stop thinking about those dark spirits," Pavi shivered. She was in a seat with Rudolf while the others held onto the railing.

"I think they are called Druun," I reminded her. "Shira told me about them." Shira has been sleeping with the sem. She was curled up as she wrapped it around. She has been like this since the Krang attacked.

"What are Druun anyway?" Rudolf asked, sitting next to Pavi.

"A plague," Tomoka explained. "They bring misery and despair instead of the dragons giving humanity hope and trust. They can consume everything until there is nothing but ash and stone."

"It appears that maybe the Krang created them so they can live on Earth to make it their home," Galaxy wondered.

"Galaxy, you knew about this?" Manako said, lifting her head up.

"Yes," Nebula nodded. "We know about the Druun. They are too dangerous even with a touch of their dark shine. They only have a weakness. Water and bright lights."

"But I thought Druun are not afraid of light."

"Only by a true love's determination in the soul and stop the Druun," the gothic alien replied.

"True love?" Pavi gasped, holding her Manaphy in her arms. "I know this. It's the most powerful thing the world has ever seen."

Talk about true love, there is no way that can't be real. If Krang did something to Raph, he won't be able to come back. And besides, I'm already living in a red gory world where monsters of different shapes terrify me. I just needed Raph. He is the only perfect mutant I can see.

They're on the move," Donnie said as a tracking mark showed up on the desk. "According to the subcutaneous tracker I put on Raph–"

"Wait," Leo stops him, who was on Raph's captain's seat. "Does that mean you put trackers on all of us?"

I glared at my genius brother until the purple turtle sputtered. Uh... No... Of course I did... n't." Changing his mind, the hologram shifts to a city. "Based on their trajectory, they're headed..."

"To the tallest building in the city," Casey blurted out. I turned to him as Donnie agreed.

"That's right, Metro Tower."

"Also known as the Empire State Building," Tomoka concluded.

"I heard the story so many times as a kid, but I never thought....." The human monster had stopped talking as we looked at him, concerned.

"Is something wrong?" Pavi asked, tipping her head.

"Sorry," the human apologized. "It had been something that all people had told since the Krang had arrived." He explained the story that in the future, the Krang ripped open the vortex up in the sky and begin to release the Druun and Krang creature to infect and turn people into stone, which is worse than death.

"They told that to kids?!" Mikey squeaked, terrified, gripping his head, before slumping down. "Man, the future is harsh."

Man, speaking of that, It didn't seem to affect me. Even Nebula, Manako, Leo, Tomoka and the others, even Meloetta are scared and worried.