Hey everyone, here's a little touching story that my friend and fellow Fanfic-writer Bloodrayne666 gave me the idea for. Thanks, by the way.
I've tried to make this as sad and touching as I could, but if you really want to get the feeling I want, listen to the song Seigi no Chikara when Mona watches the TV-show. You'll know.
Memories of the Lost
Tyroth and Sephie were once again visiting the turtles and family in New York, staying for a couple of days to hang out and have some fun. Having finished the training for the day and just returned from a rather uneventful patrol, the turtles were itching for something more, still having loads of energy, so they decided to skate in the sewers.
However, Tyroth declined as he wanted to meditate for a while, to further help him focus his magical powers, Plus, he wasn't such a big fan of skating, not when he could fly. And since he stayed, so did Sephie, preferring to be near her beloved mate. Though, since he would be meditating, she decided to practice her archery skills.
And they were not the only ones that stayed behind.
"Are you sure, babe? You almost never pass up a skate in the sewers." Raph asked his mate.
"I'm sure, hun. Unlike you and your brothers, I don't really have the same amount of energy right now, so I think I'll relax in front of the TV while master Splinter is meditating." said Mona. She then gave Raph a playful kiss on the cheek.
"Don't worry and have some fun, okay?"
Before Raph could say something, Mikey could be heard from the entrance.
"Yo, Raphie-boy! Last one to the intersection is a Foot-dummy!" the youngest turtle called in a teasing manner, before running out of the lair with his skateboard in hand and Leo and Donnie right behind him.
"Oh, I'll show you who's a dummy! Get back here!"
"Go get 'em, tiger!" Mona encouraged her mate as he ran after his brothers.
Once the turtles had left the lair, Mona chuckled and headed to the TV-area.
"Those boys sure are competitive. I love doing stuff with them, but it's actually going to be nice to have the TV all for myself for while. Maybe Sephie and Tyroth would like to join me later."
After sitting down in the couch, Mona started the TV and began zapping between the channels to see if there was anything worthwhile. It took a few minutes, then a science show caught her interest, having studied physics as a human. Once the show was over, roughly twenty minutes later, she once again tried to find something to watch.
But, what she found this time, was far from as entertaining as the previous show.
"In a sad truth of life, people go missing and are never heard from again. I am Danny Mattersen, and tonight we will have a brief look at a few cases where people for some reason have disappeared, and meet their loved ones, whose hearts have been crushed. Tonight, we remember those lost, so that they will never be forgotten."
At first, Mona grimaced slightly when she thought about those poor people, but also when she remembered what happened to her and how her family must have been hurt by it. She was just about to change the channel when she saw the first victim and recognized her.
It was a young girl with long wavy dark brown hair, high cheekbones and blue eyes with a kind smile.
"B-but that's..." she stuttered with wide eyes. At that moment, Tyroth and Sephie, both being done with their respective activities, noticed that Mona was at the TV and decided to keep her company.
"Hey, Mona. Find anything worth watching?" Sephie asked as they walked up behind the couch, then she noticed the image on the screen. "Who's that? Wait, she almost looks like.. like you."
"It is me. It's how I looked when I was human." Mona answered, still not over the shock of seeing herself.
"Monalisa Freeman was an ambitious and confident young woman that was taken from us far too soon." the narrator continued. "Skilled martial artist and having a promising future ahead of her, everything ended on the 14th of June nearly five years ago, when she disappeared in New York. Having travelled there with some friends, she went out to buy supplies but never returned. The police suspected kidnapping, but her body was never found, only traces and signs of a struggle. We have been able to get an interview with those hurt the most by the tragic fate of this poor girl, her family."
Mona's heart skipped a beat and she gasped in mixed sorrow and longing when she saw her family.
"Oh, God… Mom… Dad… Jake… Callum..." she said faintly, tears falling down her cheeks.
"The Freemans are left with a horrid scar that will never properly heal, having lost their oldest child and only daughter." the narrator said before the microphone was handed to Mona's mother, Gina. Her name flashed in the corner of the screen.
"It feels so unreal, even after all this time, like it's all a bad dream, but it's not. My little baby girl is gone, but the worst thing is not knowing what happened to her. Every time the phone rings or there is a knock on the door, I hope and pray that our angel has come home to us again. I… I… 'sob' I'm sorry… I'm so sorry..." Gina said as she started crying. Her husband, Caledon, put his arm around her to support and comfort her.
"It's alright, take your time, madam. You don't have to continue."
"...thank you..."
The interviewer then moved on to Mona's brothers, Jake and Callum.
"Mona was the best sister we could ask for, always so nice to us, even when we didn't deserve it." said Jake.
"Please, find our big sister… We miss her so much." said Callum. The two brothers both had tears in their sad eyes.
"You always deserved it, Jake, Callum… I miss you too..." Mona said under her breath as more tears fell, seeing her heartbroken family. The show then left her family and showed more pictures of her. Pictures from holidays, vacations and her graduation in martial arts.
"A rising star was extinguished when Monalisa disappeared, and while it have been years, her loved ones still cling on to the hope that she will return. Therefore, we ask you, dear viewers, if you know anything, if you have seen anything. Please, call the Crimestoppers Hotline or the Missing Persons Helpline, and help ease their pain.
We will return to look at more that have gone missing, after these short messages."
Mona placed her face in her hands and cried, she obviously still hurt from loosing her family, and seeing this brought back all the pain that she thought he had dealt with. Sephie and Tyroth knew how she felt, both having lost their families in the same way.
Moving over to Mona's side, Sephie sat down and pulled her into a caring hug, trying to comfort her.
"I miss them! I miss them so much! Why did all of that have to happen?" Mona said in between sobs.
"I know you do, Mona, and we know how you feel, how it feels to loose our loved ones. These wounds hurt badly." Sephie said calmingly. "But you're not alone, we are all here for you, and we can help you heal."
"You will never be alone again, and maybe one day, you can meet them again, just like I met my sister again. Hold on to that hope, and never let it go." said Tyroth as he placed a hand on Mona's shoulder from behind the couch.
"...thank you, for everything." said Mona, she started to feel a little better.
But suddenly, Tyroth went rigid.
"Sephie… Look…" he said, pointing at the TV. Sephie looked and she gasped when she saw that the program had resumed and was now showing new pictures. Mona didn't quite understand what had them so spooked, maybe it was a friend they knew from before their mutation. Looking at the screen, she saw two pictures, one of a young woman with long, half-curly reddish brown hair and green eyes, and the other of a young man with short dark brown hair and hazelnut coloured eyes. The woman looked happy and energetic, while the man had a serious but kind and caring face.
"Are they… No, it can't be..." she said, realizing who the two were.
"It's us..." said Tyroth. "Me and Sephie..."
"Back when we… were human too..."
"A couple of years ago, in Chicago, a young couple fell victims to a horrid crime. Raymond Ottosen and Elisabeth Hartman, at the time recently engaged, came to Chicago in search of jobs and to begin their new lives together, but everything took a turn for the worse when a madman attacked and tried to kill them in broad daylight. Fleeing into the sewers and underground tunnels, the couple tried to escape their attacker. Then, an explosion was detected, caused by the same man that attacked them. Rescue personnel arrived at the scene of the explosion as soon as they were able, but they found no survivors, only blood, in the collapsed tunnel.
Raymond was a man of justice and compassion, he cared deeply for others and never hesitated to protect those in need, even total strangers, though he often ended up in fights with bullies and minor criminals, much to his family's chagrin. But while he may have been in a lot of trouble because of this, many among the law enforcement saw his potential and two days after he had left for Chicago, they called his home to offer him a place with the police. A chance that could have changed Raymond's life, that came just too late to save it.
Left behind are his parents, Richard and Erica, as well as his younger sister, Jennifer, all devastated and heartbroken at the loss of Raymond."
The image shifted and showed Jennifer together with her parents.
"We still can't believe that he's gone." Erica said with tears in her eyes. "A part of me always feared that something like this might happen, but I would never have thought that it actually would."
"The way he acted, picking fights with bad people, we never agreed with that." said Richard. "But he did the right thing, standing up for others, and everyone could learn a thing or two from him. We never got the chance to tell him how proud we were of him and what he did." Tears could be seen forming in Richard's eyes.
Tyroth clenched his fists as tears fell. They were proud of his actions. He had always felt like they wanted to scold him, but knowing that they were proud, warmed his aching heart.
"I'll continue to make you proud… mom… dad..." he whispered silently.
"There were so much he did for us, especially me… I don't think I would be here today if not for my brother." said Jennifer with a very sad face. "And I just know that he's watching over us from somewhere, so if you can hear me Raymond, big brother, thank you for everything."
"You're welcome, little sister." Tyroth said with a smile, wiping his tears. He knew that Jennifer only acted in front of the camera, but she had gone through the pain of losing him, so she knew how to act.
"But as we said, Raymond Ottosen wasn't the only one lost that day, his fiancée, Elisabeth Hartman, also fell victim to the deranged man that attacked them." the narrator continued. "She was a happy young woman, who enjoyed even the simplest things in life. Kind by nature, this energetic girl had no difficulties making bonds of friendship with pretty much anyone she met. Her dream was to become a psychiatrist and help people with any problems they might have, an admirable thing to strive after, and yet, she never got to fulfil that dream. Many are those who miss this ray of sunshine, but those that miss her the most is without a doubt her family. Her parents Lucy and Dean, her older sister Cassandra (26), younger brother Joshua (17), and the youngest siblings, the twins Tommy and Monica (14)."
Sephie shook when she saw the screen switch to her family. She had no way of holding back her tears. How she longed to be able to meet them again.
"I… I don't know what to say. Who could want to hurt her, she was so kind-hearted." said Sephie's mother, crying into her husbands shoulder while he held her close.
"What kind of sick people could take pleasure in hurting someone else? That man's actions robbed us of our daughter." he said.
"Lizzy and I didn't always agree, but she was always there when I needed her, like a true sister would. I wish that I could have been there for her." said Cassandra.
"We all do, she deserved the best. It just ain't the same without her, but we'll never forget her." said Joshua. The twins hugged each other as they cried, remembering and missing their older sister.
"And I'll never forget any of you, I promise… mom, dad… Cassie, Josh, Tom'ica..."
"These poor families were shocked when they received the horrific news, and while people searched for Raymond and Elisabeth, any hope to see them again was forever shattered several days later when the forensic report stated that 'even if they survived the explosion and collapse of the tunnel, their injuries would most likely have been too extensive for them to survive for more than a few days', and sadly, they are right." said the narrator.
"The only consolation in all of this, is that the one responsible for this atrocity was finally arrested, and reports claim that he later took his own life, meaning that the Ottosens and Hartmans have been given at least a little peace in their hearts, knowing that their lost children have been avenged. And wherever they may be, maybe we can all feel some relief that Raymond and Elisabeth are together forever.
I am Danny Mattersen, and we remember those lost, so that they never be forgotten. Good night."
Mona didn't quite know what to say. This was the first she had seen of Tyroth and Sephie's old lives, aside from Jennifer, and while they had told her that they understood her pain, it wasn't until now that she truly felt the truth of their words. They hurt just as much as her. If the turtles were Mona's family, then Tyroth and Sephie, and most likely more than half of Mutopia, were kindred spirits, all having lost their families when they mutated.
Turning off the TV, Mona gave Sephie a much needed hug, just like she had done for Mona moments earlier. She also reached out and took Tyroth's hand, holding it gently.
"I'll always be here for you guys, just like you are here for me." she said comforting.
As the trio collected themselves in silence, Splinter, having come out of his quarters a few minutes earlier, watched them from afar. He felt sorry for their losses, but at the same time he was happy that they had each other to share their pain with and to get strength and support from.
Once the three reptiles had dried their tears, Tyroth wanted them to do something to take their minds off their families. He didn't want them to forget them, but constantly thinking about how much they missed them wasn't the same as remembering them.
"Come on, you two, let's go topside for while, clear our minds a little." he said.
"Sounds like a good idea. Got anything in mind?" Sephie asked.
"How about some stargazing?" Mona suggested. "I've always found that peace giving. And I know a great spot too."
Heading out, the three mutants arrived at the surface within minutes, and once they reached the roof tops, Mona guided them to one of the taller buildings, where they could get above most of the light pollution and have a clear view of the sky. Luckily, the weather was in their favour and the sky was clear from clouds and the moon stood low over the horizon.
They spent a while looking at the stars, pointing out various constellations that they recognized.
"This was a great idea, Mona. It's been a while since we did something like this." said Sephie.
"Yeah, we really should do this more often. It's just a shame that there's still some light from below that interferes." Mona responded.
"I think I know a way to get a much better view, if your willing to try it." said Tyroth. Sephie immediately knew what her lover referred to and smiled.
"A flight above the city. We will be able to get more than high enough to be free of any light pollution." said Sephie, she then turned to Mona. "What do you say, are you up for it?"
Mona thought about it for a little while, she had flown with Tyroth a few times before, but that had always been during missions or the like, never for fun. In the end, she agreed, and Tyroth picked her up bridal style, while Sephie climbed onto his back and put her arms around his neck.
Once he was certain that both girls were secure, Tyroth leaped into the air with aid of his powerful legs and flapped his mighty wings to gain even more altitude. It took a little while, but eventually they reached a point high above even the tallest buildings. The air was quite cold that far up, but Tyroth made sure to keep the girls warm with his inner magic warmth.
Looking around them, the sight was breathtaking. The starry sky above them, and all the lights of the city below them, both beautiful in their own right, but not interfering with each other. And with only the faintest of sounds from the city, the night was so peaceful that it felt like time had stopped.
As they flew through the sky, they passed over Coney Island and the surrounding waters, and an idea popped into Sephie's mind and she leaned a little closer to Tyroth and whispered in his ear, causing him to smile and nod.
"Hey, Mona, you and Raph tend to go on joyrides on his Shell-cycle every now and then, right?" Sephie asked.
"Yes. I like when we do that. The speed, the wind in my hair and face, all the stunts, the adrenaline, it's a real thrill. Why?"
"We were thinking that you might be up for another kind of ride." said Tyroth with a slight smirk.
"Another kind of ride? What do you mean- Oh!"
"That's right, Mona. Some high speed flying." said Sephie with a grin. "Don't worry, Tyroth got a good grip, he won't drop you. And you know how good my grip is. We've done it several times before, and I think you will like it."
"Hmm… Well, if you're certain it's safe, then bring it on!"
"Hold on to your tail, 'cause this will be one ride you won't soon forget!" said Tyroth as he rose even higher into the air before diving straight down as fast as he could. Mona could feel her heart race as it felt like she was falling freely through the air, even though she was safely in Tyroth's arms. The wind blowing past her ears was almost deafening as she saw how the water came closer at high speed.
Levelling out before in the nick of time, Tyroth swept across the water, a foot above the surface, the force leaving a trail of ripples behind. Mona could feel the drops from the splashing waves below hitting her face as Tyroth did a number of sharp turns as to avoid obstacles. Every time he made a turn, the tip of one of his wings cut into the water.
Turning sharply upwards, the dragon did a looping, followed by alternating aileron rolls and barrel rolls and more sharp turns just above the water surface. Seeing a long row of wooden poles near the beach, Tyroth smirked as he steered against them and started zigzagging between them at high speed. Mona couldn't help but gasp when they passed the first poles, she was worried of what could happen if Tyroth was too quick or too slow, but it seemed that he had everything under control.
When they cleared the last of the poles, Tyroth once again turned upwards and flapped his wings to rise high into the air. Once he had reached a height that he deemed enough, he just fell back down, diving toward the deep water, pulling back his wings flat behind him. He coated both himself and the girls with mana that took the form of a spear-tip, and they dived into the water.
Mona was shocked at first, she knew that Tyroth wasn't that good of a swimmer, so she couldn't understand why he wanted to go underwater, but once they were submerged, she understood what the mana layer was for. It kept the water away and allowed them to continue their path as Tyroth steered them back to the surface. The underwater trip lasted for only a few seconds, but it was an experience without its like, and they took to the air again after surfacing, leaving a trail of water behind them.
"That… was… wild!" said Mona as she caught her breath.
"I know, right? Had we had some more obstacles, Tyroth would have been able to show you even more stunts." said Sephie with a big smile.
"And I thought the rides through town with Raph were exciting, but this was something else. They still have their unique thrills, and so does this. Can we do it again sometime?"
"Sure, but I think we should head back for now. There's always tomorrow." said Tyroth as he flew them back towards the lair.
The three mutants had been through a lot when they became what they are, and lost much, but as long as they had each other to lean on, it wouldn't drag them down. They would keep looking towards the future and hold on to their hope.
I really hope that you enjoyed this little story. I wanted Mona, Sephie and Tyroth to really connect, to have them grow closer and strengthen each other, and I think that I got it.