The fire crackled and the sparks from the orange flame flew to the sky until they lost their light. Our heroes had no luck in finding the one known as Usagi. Everyone was in the same position, arms hung around their knees and looking into the forest beyond. This troubled everyone- especially Leonardo and Michelangelo.


For Leonardo, he was thinking about what Renet had told him when they were on the balcony. How he and his brothers could do anything. Well, she was wrong about that. They couldn't do everything. They couldn't stop a Tricereton invasion for the first time. They couldn't keep the pieces of the Black Hole Generator from them either. The The turtles lost their Sensei because they split up. Leonardo blames himself for this at times, but he was just doing as he was told.

Michelangelo on the other hand, he is worried sick! How is he supposed to do his part? He's the silly one. The one that always messes up. But he wanted things to be different now. He wanted to be the one who fixes things. 'Four elements,' he thought. 'Four of us.' He went deep into thought. Could it be possible that they were to find the elements? More importantly wield them?

'No way!" he exclaimed and quickly stood up. The out of no where exclamation made everyone jump.

"'No way' what Mikey?" Donatello asked. The orange turtle sank back down against his tree.

"Uh, never mind." This made Renet curious. What was the young turtle hiding?

Then, snap! A sound of a stick snapping made everyone stand guard instantly. A bristling bush ruffled behind them and they turned round. The turtles unsheathed their weapons, and Renet grabbed the Time Scepter, and waited to see what would come out.

Or... Who.

"Whoa whoa!" a raspy male's voice echoed. Out came a rhino man, dressed in a white robe, with a pair of swords on the side. The only thing odd about him was that his horn had been broken. "Take it easy! I'm not here to hurt you." The turtles put away their weapons hesitantly. This guy is new to them after all. He stepped forward. "It's a cold night. What are you kids doing out here this late?"

Renet looked at her friends. Could they trust him? Then, she saw something. A ray of moonlight shone among him. "We were looking for one called 'Usagi,'" she explained, "but we had no luck. So we camped out here since we have no place to stay."

"Hm... Usagi, you say?" he asked, and Renet nods. "I believe I know an Usagi."

"Could you take us to him?" Donatello asked, intimidated. "We're in an urgent hurry."

The rhino man snorted. "You'll have to prove your worth to him-"

"I said an urgent hurry!"

"Alright alright. Calm your horses before there are eggs!" The turtles and Renet looked at each other in confusion. "Teh, never mind. Follow me," he gestured his hand to them and they followed him deep into the woods.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Usagi is a good friend of mine, yes. A nice fellow indeed. He does seem to get too serious at times though. When it comes to it."

The crickets chirped above his voice and the leaves bristled in the wind as Renet stayed cautiously close to her friends and the one who they were following. She was a big target, being the Time Master and all. But, the young Timestress didn't feel like one. Her eyes looked down as she halted to a stop. Could she do this with little knowledge?

"You guys go ahead! I'll catch up!" Renet's chin was met with a light green bandaged hand. He lifted her head up to see his frown. "What's wrong, Renet?" Michelangelo's voice brought her to reality. She didn't want to worry him, but he was her best friend. She could tell him anything.

The Timestress took a deep breath then continued to walk with him at her side. "I don't know if I'm capable of doing this. I know I have no choice, but I don't know anything about this!"

The orange clad turtle thought for a moment. He wanted to help his friend, but what could he say? "Renet I-"

"Well, here we are!" Mikey was interrupted by the rhino's statement. His eyes gazed to where his brothers and him were standing. As he and Renet caught up with him, his eyes widened in amazement. Usagi's place is beautiful! A single hut of a house stood tall in the fields long before them after the long journey in the forest. It's birch wood laid matching against the bright green grass that glistened in the sun. A blossom tree rose high above it's rooftop beside the hut, pedals have fallen onto it from the wind.

Michelangelo snapped into reality. "Come on guys! Like Donnie said, we're in an urgent hurry!" he turned to the rhino. "Thank-you..?"

"Gennoske. Murakami Gennoske."

"Thank-you, Murakami Gennoske, for helping us," Renet politely stated, and bowed with her thanks. The turtles followed her movement soon after. He scratched his head, but then returned the gesture.

"I uh.. I wish you luck with your journey," Gennoske finished, and disappeared into the forest.

Leonardo gestured his hands to lead. "Come on guys! Let's move!"

The guys followed Leo to the door and let him knock. No answer. He knocked again. No answer. Renet looked very confused. Why would Gennoske bring them to Usagi's home when he wasn't there? But she couldn't jump to conclusions. Maybe it was bad timing?

She wasn't the only one thinking that though.

"Why would Gennoske bring us to an empty hut!?" Raphael exclaimed impatiently.

"Maybe we came at a bad time?" Donatello suggested.

"Try a different way of knocking! There might be a secret passage or code of some sort."

The Timestress was growing tired of the turtle's bickering. She sighed in frustration and decided to block out their little argument and look at the blossom tree. She listened to the wind instead as their voices started to fade. The wind went through one ear and out the other, making a whistling sound. 'Wait a minute,' she thought. 'That's not a whistle, that's a flute!' Her mind raced with the new thought. "Guys!" Renet got the guy's attention. "Usagi's not inside! Follow me!" She led them to where she heard the beautiful music. It brought them from beyond the pink flowered tree to behind the hut. They were even more amazed. The ground was covered in pavement, carved as a ying-yang with a gate guarded tall around it.

Renet panned her eyes around the property, looking for Usagi. But all she spotted is a light shade of grey rabbit holding his flute to his furry mouth, playing with his eyes closed as if he'd memorized the notes. He wore a blue robe and black pants with a pair of brown sandals on his feet. On his robe, was a black printed paw print. Renet was brought back to the scenery when she felt a tug on her shoulder.

"Um, guys, we have company!" Raphael's voice broke the silence and the Rabbit's beautiful playing. He peaked open one eye and spotted the warriors right away who are in front of him. The turtles unsheathed their weapons from their belts. Usagi looked scared for a moment, then noticed why they were holding them.