Legends is the first story in Black, White & Green #4.
Appearing in Legends[]
Major characters[]
Minor characters[]
Species[]
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Synopsis[]
Splinter announces bedtime for the Turtle tots and the little tykes race to their shared bedroom. Each Turtle jumps into his own bed and then they beg their father for a story. He agrees and tells them to settle down and he takes a book from the shelf. Splinter says that he will tell them the story of the Four Kappa.
Images accompany Splinter’s narration. The home of four turtles known as kappa was in a beautiful forest. The kappa lived there in harmony with the other creatures of the forest and were beloved for their wisdom, kindness, and strength. The forest thrived under the watchful eye of the four kappa, known as Kenji, Ko, Kei and Kento.
One day a ferocious wind visited the forest. This was the wind of the Kamaitachi and it was a malevolent force which carried with it destruction. The Kamaitachi wind contained fearsome beasts called Wind Weasels, who had terrible fangs and claws like blades. The forest, torn by this wind, became a place of chaos and fear.
Though Kenji, Ko, Kei and Kento could feel the violent gusts, they were protected by their sturdy shells. Safe in their protective armor, they remained rooted in place to wait out the storm. However, over the sound of the wind, they could hear the cries of their friends. After discussing the plight of the other forest creatures, the four kappa became determined to save them.
Ko, the strongest of them, positioned himself like a shield, protecting a family of rabbits. His shell, strong as iron, deflected the Kamaitachi’s razor-sharp claws. Along with the picture of Ko is a panel showing a sai, held by Raphael, catching a blade. Kento was known for his speed and agility. He moved swiftly to lead a group of hedgehogs to safety. With each flash of the Kamaitachi’s claws, Kento was there to absorb the impact on his shell. This is illustrated in a panel showing Donatello using his bō to protect a woman.
Kenji, with his keen senses, anticipated the Kamaitachi’s movements. He used his shell to create barriers that diverted the wind so that he could lead the birds to safety. A panel displays Michelangelo’s use of his nunchaku. Kei, possessed of a brave heart and sharp mind, organized the animals the take cover behind the kappa’s shells. His thinking positioned the other turtles, channeling the storm through a path that led out of harm’s way. Leonardo, wielding his katana, is shown in a panel.
With their attacks thwarted, the Kamaitachi were carried off with the wind and away from the forest. As the animals emerged from hiding, they gathered around Kenji, Ko, Kei, and Kento. A rat elder stepped forward to thank the brave kappa for saving them all. He then asked why they left their place of safety to risk their lives for them. Fast forward to the Turtles, now grown, helping a woman out of the remains of a destroyed building. She is then shown sitting at her young daughter’s bedside, reading a story from a book titled “The Legend of the Four Kappa”. The woman answers the old rat’s question. “Because… not all creatures have shells.”