p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"It's amazing how five months on your own can allow time to heal even the deepest of wounds. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"After my encounter with Hun and his goons I had taken some serious hits, not all of them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI had scars, bodily, emotionally, and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMy physical wounds had healed within a few weeks, but even Mikey could tell I was… style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI couldn't focus, couldn't sleep, couldn't bring myself to laugh or style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFinally, Splinter had pulled me aside one evening and insisted I take some time to myself, to 'meditate, heal, and find myself again'.span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt first I had refused, claiming I had spent enough time away from the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSoon, though, I had seen the wisdom in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo I left, and here I was./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"The woods around me were serene and silent. The aspens were a brilliant yellow, their white bark peeling off in white sheets. I grabbed several of the bigger flakes and stored them in my pack for later. My pack, nestled between my wings, was strapped snugly to my chest around my ribcage so it didn't bounce around as I moved. It was a simple leather one April had picked up at an antique shop for me. I had brought nothing with me but the clothes I was wearing, my pack, and a small granola bar Leo had insisted I bring. I smiled to myself, remembering how upset Leonardo had been when he found out I was only bringing the bare essentials./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Leo, the point of me going up to the mountains is to get away from these kinds of things, remember?" I had asked, shaking the package of store-bought snacks in his face. He frowned. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Yes, but you're also going to be gone for five months and haven't packed anything for food!"/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Come on, Leo. I've told you before: I'll find stuff up there to eat. Thanks to my mutation I can survive on food for days that wouldn't last you guys a few hours. And I can digest a lot of berries plants that even humans can't. I'll find stuff to eat. Besides, you know I eat like a bird." I winked at him. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" We finally settled on me taking two boxes of granola bars with me-one for the way there and one and one for the way back. I had been here for a good three and a half months already and had finished the first box several weeks ago save the bar I had with me. I had discovered early on that I could go several days without eating if I was careful, something that came in handy if I wanted to have a long meditation session that lasted a few days. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" In the months I had been here I hadn't seen a single person and honestly I didn't mind at all. It was a welcome break from how hectic that last few months had been. Splinter had finally convinced me to leave the city and take a little time to myself so I could recover. The others, however, particularly Mikey, were more reluctant to let me go. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "But who will watch movies with me at three in the morning and play with my action figures for hours on end?" Mikey wailed when I told them all I was going. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "And who will help me shut Mikey up when he's bein' annoyin'?" Piped in Raph, trying to mask his distress with sarcasm. I chuckled. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "You survived without me for sixteen years. You can do so for another five months."/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Five months?!" Mikey nearly fainted at that, sinking to his knees, wrapping his arms around my waist and burying his head in my stomach. "I can't live without my little sparrow for five whole months." I put my hand underneath his huge chin and lifted it up so is eyes locked with mine. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Don't worry about it. I'll be back before you know it. I promise."/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Does it really have to be five months?" He asked, returning his head to my stomach and squeezing me tighter. I gasped as he accidentally pushed all the breath out of me, still not used to his incredible strength. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Yes." Answered a voice from the hall. Leo appeared from his bedroom and joined us in the living room. He took one look at his little brothers' faces and his gaze softened. Raph was pouting in the corner, trying to not show how distraught he really was. Donnie was sitting cross-legged on the floor next to him and was fiddling with some of the equipment on his belt the way he always did when he was upset. Mikey refused to let me go. Ever since my close call with the Purple Dragons a few weeks ago they had all become very protective of me and the thought of letting me be on my own for an extended period of time bothered them deeply. That evening, after much debating and even a few raised voices, Leo had finally convinced them to let me style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI slipped away quietly the next morning before any of them had woken up. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" It had taken me a good week of solid flying just to find a good spot to settle down for a few months and I finally chose one of the Rocky Mountains next to Pikes Peak. The lack of oxygen would have bothered most people after a few days but I reveled in it. The extreme cold and thin air kept unwanted eyes away and let me be completely and blissfully alone for as long as I wanted. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" Right now I was working on finding a suitable place to bed for the night. I would spend the next few nights here, then start my long journey home. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I'll surprise the boys by coming home a few days early/em, I thought. My hair, which had grown noticeably longer since I left, fell into my eyes as I scouted the immediate area and I pushed it back impatiently. A bird called overhead and my ears pricked. One of the many side effects of my mutation was that I could understand birds. Not in human words like they did in the cartoons, but I could tell what they were trying to say and could respond in kind. This one was looking for its mate. He sounded frantic. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" I looked around me and found the worried bird sitting on the tree branch next to me, turning his head this way and that looking around for his lost love. He was a massive eagle, bigger than any other I'd seen. I chirped a response, letting the sing-song sound tumble from my lips and into the air. The eagle looked at me sharply, distrust instantly masking his face. I fluffed my wings, drawing his attention to them. He was confused at first, but relaxed a little bit when he recognized them for what they were./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Where is she?" I asked. He refused to answer, still clearly puzzled. "I can help you," I said. Suddenly there was a sharp cry from the other side of the gully and the eagle took off. I followed him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" We flew up above the trees and looked down. If he was surprised to see me with him up among the clouds he didn't make any indication. We flew for two or three minutes, then by a stroke of luck we spotted her, trapped underneath a pile of rocks. It looked like a huge rock slide had happened a few hours ago and she had gotten trapped underneath some of the bigger rocks. The eagle landed beside her instantly, rubbing his head against hers as she lay trapped. I landed a respectful distance away, knowing that he would be fiercely protective of her right now. I asked again if I could help and finally, after consulting with his love for a moment, agreed to let me try. I walked up to them slowly, making no sudden movements so I didn't scare them. Then, grabbing the bottom rock, I heaved upward. The pile of rocks shifted slightly, allowing the elegant bird to squirm out and into the protective care of her mate. They looked at me silently, their eyes filled with gratitude. I simply bowed my head and crooned affectionately. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "I think it's time families were reunited, yes?" I asked no one in particular, leaving the two mates to return to their nest and tend to their children. Then, looking to the darkening sky, I realized it was about time my family was reunited too. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"I spent the next fortnight making my way back home to the Big Apple. The return trip took longer than expected and, thanks to some unexpected stops along the way, I actually arrived a few days late. I knew the boys would be worrying about me, but I wasn't ready to reveal myself just yet. I decided to have a little fun with them first. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" I arrived downtown just after dusk, the darkness lending me cover from unwanted eyes. It was a Friday night so the boys would be out doing their regular routine check of the rooftops throughout the night. Lucky for me, I knew their schedules like the back of my hand. I flew close to the rooftops until I reached the building where Don would be in about three minutes, according to my watch. I plucked one of my feathers out and set it on the ground in plain sight then shot myself into the sky. My wings flapped powerfully in the silent night air and soon I was high above the building amongst the clouds. I would be able to see him. He would not be able to see me. Then I would move on to the next brother. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" Soon enough, and right on time, my purple-clad brother appeared on the side of the building with as much noise as a ghost. I watched him carefully, not prepared for the rush of emotion that overtook me at the sight of him. It was all I could do not to rocket down there and into his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI missed him so much! span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut the promise of an amazing reunion with all of them soon enough gave me the strength to restrain myself. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" He picked up the feather and examined it carefully, his face widening in surprise as he began to recognize it. Time to move on to the next brother. I giggled, heading east. Within a minute I was pulling the same trick on Leo. Surprisingly he recognized it faster than Donnie did and I had barely made it out of the vicinity before he started searching the sky for me. Raph and Mikey were both thoroughly confused, but I think they realized what the feather meant before Leo sent a mass text on his shell-cell calling everyone together. I watched Raphael look at the bright screen of his device dubiously./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "In Central Park?" Asked Raph to no one in particular, obviously disgruntled. He grumbled as he put his shell-cell away and headed toward he grassy abode. I smirked as I realized Leo had figured out my scheme and was playing along perfectly. I took off from the water tower I was perched on and rocketed off toward the park. By the time I had reached the park and figured out where they were, the boys were talking amongst themselves. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "You really think she's back?" Asked Mikey, his voice full of hope. I landed on a nearby tree silently and listened in. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Why else would we find four foot-long black feathers all on the same night in places only she knew we would be at the exact moment we would be there?" answered a patient Leo. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Yeah, by my calculations the odds of that happening by natural causes are next to nothing, even astronomical. There are too many unknown variables to qualify it as being merely an accident. There has to be some constant, a mastermind of you will, behind the whole operation..."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Speak English, Brainiac," said Raph. Now was my moment. I leapt off the branch and landed on the ground a few feet away from the group. I tucked my wings behind me and gave them a huge grin. Four green heads snapped up, four pairs of eyes not daring to believe what they were seeing./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "I think what Donnie is trying to say is that I'm home." I said. Nobody spoke. Then, all of a sudden, Mikey burst out screaming for joy, throwing his hands up in the air and rushing towards me. He pulled me into a massive bear hug. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "YOU'RE HOME!" He screamed, laughing. My arms crushed against my side, I was helpless against his strong grip. I was laughing and crying at the same time, overjoyed at seeing my brothers at the first time in months. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Outta the way, shell-brain, it's my turn." Rumbled Raph, shoving Mikey out of the way and picking me up by my armpits, holding me out at arms' length. Then, without any warning, he pulled me close and gave me a quick, fierce hug. "Good to have you home, little bird." He whispered. He set me down, ruffling my hair with his massive hand. Donnie was the next up, picking me up and spinning me around. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "You're actually here! I was right, I knew it couldn't be an accident! It's been so long..." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Yes, Dee, I'm actually home."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "And a good thing, too," came a deep voice from behind me. Donnie set me down and I stood to face Leo, his blue eyes full of love and happiness. "Too much longer and I'm pretty sure Mikey would have driven us all clinically insane with how much he's been asking about you." He smiled and held out his arms. I grinned and leapt into them, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling myself right against him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "I missed you guys." I said, feeling a burning in the back of my eyes. I fought the tears, not wanting them to see me cry. Before they had a chance to spill over, Leo also lifted me up and spun me around, setting me neatly on his shoulders. I giggled, setting my hands on his head. He grabbed my ankles so I wouldn't fall off and then we began walking towards the edge of the park. The others followed eagerly. They all began bombarding me with questions and I had barely enough time to answer one before I was being asked another. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "So where did you go?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "I went up to Colorado and-"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "How long did it take you to get there? How long did you fly?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "I flew on and off for about a week. It's a long flight."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "What muscle groups worked the most while you were gliding? Are they different from when you fly close to the ground? And how did you figure out the aerodynamics of your wings as you flew?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "I just kind of felt it, Donnie, I wasn't really thinking..."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Did any of those park rangers give you a hard time up there? Bet they were freaked out to see a giant flying pigeon in the Rockies."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "I'm not a pigeon, dork, and no I was not seen."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" It went on like that while we traveled home. The stench of the sewers was a bit of a slap in the face after spending months out in the open, but I soon grew re-accustomed. Splinter was pleased to see me again and calmly asked how my extended meditation was. I knew he was really asking if I had healed the way we had hoped I would and I responded in the affirmative, much to his pleasure. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" About an hour later there was a knock at the door. Donnie jumped up to open it. To my surprise, it was April and Irma. Irma was a short, spunky, black-haired girl who used to work with April and, through a few suspicious and unexplainable encounters, had become good friends with the turtles. She was a few inches taller than me and a good two years older, but for all intents and purposes we were basically twins. We had only met once or twice in between my rescue and my leaving again, but we had become fast friends during that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe squealed when she saw me, a rare noise for her that clashed with her tom-boy personality that wouldn't touch a pair of high-heels with a thirty-foot pole. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Angel!" She cried, rushing towards me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Irma!" I laughed, catching her in a big hug. The others chuckled. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Looks like the wonder twins are reunited at last." Said Raph, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. Irma punched him in the arm and slipped her other arm around my waist. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Sorry, boys, but April and I are capturing her for the evening and a good part of tomorrow" Irma announced. "A little bird whispered in my ear that it was her birthday a few weeks ago and she conveniently forgot to inform us, so we're having a girls' night out."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" My heart style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey weren't supposed to know!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMikey's jaw dropped and his eyes grew cold and too late I realized my mistake. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "You... It was your birthday? And you didn't tell me?" Mikey asked quietly, rounding on me. I was slightly terrified. Mikey, the party animal of the family, simply loved throwing parties, especially birthday parties. And not only had I not been at home for my birthday, I had completely failed to even tell anyone it was happening. I was in deep, deep trouble. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Mikey, just calm down," I pleaded, positioning myself behind Irma, who looked smug. Mikey would have none of it. His blue eyes were practically blazing with fury. He suddenly pointed to April, who also appeared amused. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "You, April, will escort our winged traitor out and you and your girl friends will have a good evening doing whatever girly stuff it is you do on a night like this. Take Irma with you. My brothers and I have some serious stuff to do." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" I gulped. I wasn't sure if this was going to be the best night of my life or the worst one. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"After my encounter with Hun and his goons I had taken some serious hits, not all of them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI had scars, bodily, emotionally, and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMy physical wounds had healed within a few weeks, but even Mikey could tell I was… style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI couldn't focus, couldn't sleep, couldn't bring myself to laugh or style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFinally, Splinter had pulled me aside one evening and insisted I take some time to myself, to 'meditate, heal, and find myself again'.span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt first I had refused, claiming I had spent enough time away from the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSoon, though, I had seen the wisdom in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo I left, and here I was./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"The woods around me were serene and silent. The aspens were a brilliant yellow, their white bark peeling off in white sheets. I grabbed several of the bigger flakes and stored them in my pack for later. My pack, nestled between my wings, was strapped snugly to my chest around my ribcage so it didn't bounce around as I moved. It was a simple leather one April had picked up at an antique shop for me. I had brought nothing with me but the clothes I was wearing, my pack, and a small granola bar Leo had insisted I bring. I smiled to myself, remembering how upset Leonardo had been when he found out I was only bringing the bare essentials./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Leo, the point of me going up to the mountains is to get away from these kinds of things, remember?" I had asked, shaking the package of store-bought snacks in his face. He frowned. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Yes, but you're also going to be gone for five months and haven't packed anything for food!"/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Come on, Leo. I've told you before: I'll find stuff up there to eat. Thanks to my mutation I can survive on food for days that wouldn't last you guys a few hours. And I can digest a lot of berries plants that even humans can't. I'll find stuff to eat. Besides, you know I eat like a bird." I winked at him. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" We finally settled on me taking two boxes of granola bars with me-one for the way there and one and one for the way back. I had been here for a good three and a half months already and had finished the first box several weeks ago save the bar I had with me. I had discovered early on that I could go several days without eating if I was careful, something that came in handy if I wanted to have a long meditation session that lasted a few days. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" In the months I had been here I hadn't seen a single person and honestly I didn't mind at all. It was a welcome break from how hectic that last few months had been. Splinter had finally convinced me to leave the city and take a little time to myself so I could recover. The others, however, particularly Mikey, were more reluctant to let me go. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "But who will watch movies with me at three in the morning and play with my action figures for hours on end?" Mikey wailed when I told them all I was going. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "And who will help me shut Mikey up when he's bein' annoyin'?" Piped in Raph, trying to mask his distress with sarcasm. I chuckled. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "You survived without me for sixteen years. You can do so for another five months."/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Five months?!" Mikey nearly fainted at that, sinking to his knees, wrapping his arms around my waist and burying his head in my stomach. "I can't live without my little sparrow for five whole months." I put my hand underneath his huge chin and lifted it up so is eyes locked with mine. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Don't worry about it. I'll be back before you know it. I promise."/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Does it really have to be five months?" He asked, returning his head to my stomach and squeezing me tighter. I gasped as he accidentally pushed all the breath out of me, still not used to his incredible strength. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Yes." Answered a voice from the hall. Leo appeared from his bedroom and joined us in the living room. He took one look at his little brothers' faces and his gaze softened. Raph was pouting in the corner, trying to not show how distraught he really was. Donnie was sitting cross-legged on the floor next to him and was fiddling with some of the equipment on his belt the way he always did when he was upset. Mikey refused to let me go. Ever since my close call with the Purple Dragons a few weeks ago they had all become very protective of me and the thought of letting me be on my own for an extended period of time bothered them deeply. That evening, after much debating and even a few raised voices, Leo had finally convinced them to let me style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI slipped away quietly the next morning before any of them had woken up. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" It had taken me a good week of solid flying just to find a good spot to settle down for a few months and I finally chose one of the Rocky Mountains next to Pikes Peak. The lack of oxygen would have bothered most people after a few days but I reveled in it. The extreme cold and thin air kept unwanted eyes away and let me be completely and blissfully alone for as long as I wanted. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" Right now I was working on finding a suitable place to bed for the night. I would spend the next few nights here, then start my long journey home. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I'll surprise the boys by coming home a few days early/em, I thought. My hair, which had grown noticeably longer since I left, fell into my eyes as I scouted the immediate area and I pushed it back impatiently. A bird called overhead and my ears pricked. One of the many side effects of my mutation was that I could understand birds. Not in human words like they did in the cartoons, but I could tell what they were trying to say and could respond in kind. This one was looking for its mate. He sounded frantic. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" I looked around me and found the worried bird sitting on the tree branch next to me, turning his head this way and that looking around for his lost love. He was a massive eagle, bigger than any other I'd seen. I chirped a response, letting the sing-song sound tumble from my lips and into the air. The eagle looked at me sharply, distrust instantly masking his face. I fluffed my wings, drawing his attention to them. He was confused at first, but relaxed a little bit when he recognized them for what they were./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Where is she?" I asked. He refused to answer, still clearly puzzled. "I can help you," I said. Suddenly there was a sharp cry from the other side of the gully and the eagle took off. I followed him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" We flew up above the trees and looked down. If he was surprised to see me with him up among the clouds he didn't make any indication. We flew for two or three minutes, then by a stroke of luck we spotted her, trapped underneath a pile of rocks. It looked like a huge rock slide had happened a few hours ago and she had gotten trapped underneath some of the bigger rocks. The eagle landed beside her instantly, rubbing his head against hers as she lay trapped. I landed a respectful distance away, knowing that he would be fiercely protective of her right now. I asked again if I could help and finally, after consulting with his love for a moment, agreed to let me try. I walked up to them slowly, making no sudden movements so I didn't scare them. Then, grabbing the bottom rock, I heaved upward. The pile of rocks shifted slightly, allowing the elegant bird to squirm out and into the protective care of her mate. They looked at me silently, their eyes filled with gratitude. I simply bowed my head and crooned affectionately. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "I think it's time families were reunited, yes?" I asked no one in particular, leaving the two mates to return to their nest and tend to their children. Then, looking to the darkening sky, I realized it was about time my family was reunited too. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"I spent the next fortnight making my way back home to the Big Apple. The return trip took longer than expected and, thanks to some unexpected stops along the way, I actually arrived a few days late. I knew the boys would be worrying about me, but I wasn't ready to reveal myself just yet. I decided to have a little fun with them first. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" I arrived downtown just after dusk, the darkness lending me cover from unwanted eyes. It was a Friday night so the boys would be out doing their regular routine check of the rooftops throughout the night. Lucky for me, I knew their schedules like the back of my hand. I flew close to the rooftops until I reached the building where Don would be in about three minutes, according to my watch. I plucked one of my feathers out and set it on the ground in plain sight then shot myself into the sky. My wings flapped powerfully in the silent night air and soon I was high above the building amongst the clouds. I would be able to see him. He would not be able to see me. Then I would move on to the next brother. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" Soon enough, and right on time, my purple-clad brother appeared on the side of the building with as much noise as a ghost. I watched him carefully, not prepared for the rush of emotion that overtook me at the sight of him. It was all I could do not to rocket down there and into his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI missed him so much! span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut the promise of an amazing reunion with all of them soon enough gave me the strength to restrain myself. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" He picked up the feather and examined it carefully, his face widening in surprise as he began to recognize it. Time to move on to the next brother. I giggled, heading east. Within a minute I was pulling the same trick on Leo. Surprisingly he recognized it faster than Donnie did and I had barely made it out of the vicinity before he started searching the sky for me. Raph and Mikey were both thoroughly confused, but I think they realized what the feather meant before Leo sent a mass text on his shell-cell calling everyone together. I watched Raphael look at the bright screen of his device dubiously./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "In Central Park?" Asked Raph to no one in particular, obviously disgruntled. He grumbled as he put his shell-cell away and headed toward he grassy abode. I smirked as I realized Leo had figured out my scheme and was playing along perfectly. I took off from the water tower I was perched on and rocketed off toward the park. By the time I had reached the park and figured out where they were, the boys were talking amongst themselves. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "You really think she's back?" Asked Mikey, his voice full of hope. I landed on a nearby tree silently and listened in. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Why else would we find four foot-long black feathers all on the same night in places only she knew we would be at the exact moment we would be there?" answered a patient Leo. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Yeah, by my calculations the odds of that happening by natural causes are next to nothing, even astronomical. There are too many unknown variables to qualify it as being merely an accident. There has to be some constant, a mastermind of you will, behind the whole operation..."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Speak English, Brainiac," said Raph. Now was my moment. I leapt off the branch and landed on the ground a few feet away from the group. I tucked my wings behind me and gave them a huge grin. Four green heads snapped up, four pairs of eyes not daring to believe what they were seeing./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "I think what Donnie is trying to say is that I'm home." I said. Nobody spoke. Then, all of a sudden, Mikey burst out screaming for joy, throwing his hands up in the air and rushing towards me. He pulled me into a massive bear hug. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "YOU'RE HOME!" He screamed, laughing. My arms crushed against my side, I was helpless against his strong grip. I was laughing and crying at the same time, overjoyed at seeing my brothers at the first time in months. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Outta the way, shell-brain, it's my turn." Rumbled Raph, shoving Mikey out of the way and picking me up by my armpits, holding me out at arms' length. Then, without any warning, he pulled me close and gave me a quick, fierce hug. "Good to have you home, little bird." He whispered. He set me down, ruffling my hair with his massive hand. Donnie was the next up, picking me up and spinning me around. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "You're actually here! I was right, I knew it couldn't be an accident! It's been so long..." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Yes, Dee, I'm actually home."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "And a good thing, too," came a deep voice from behind me. Donnie set me down and I stood to face Leo, his blue eyes full of love and happiness. "Too much longer and I'm pretty sure Mikey would have driven us all clinically insane with how much he's been asking about you." He smiled and held out his arms. I grinned and leapt into them, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling myself right against him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "I missed you guys." I said, feeling a burning in the back of my eyes. I fought the tears, not wanting them to see me cry. Before they had a chance to spill over, Leo also lifted me up and spun me around, setting me neatly on his shoulders. I giggled, setting my hands on his head. He grabbed my ankles so I wouldn't fall off and then we began walking towards the edge of the park. The others followed eagerly. They all began bombarding me with questions and I had barely enough time to answer one before I was being asked another. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "So where did you go?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "I went up to Colorado and-"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "How long did it take you to get there? How long did you fly?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "I flew on and off for about a week. It's a long flight."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "What muscle groups worked the most while you were gliding? Are they different from when you fly close to the ground? And how did you figure out the aerodynamics of your wings as you flew?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "I just kind of felt it, Donnie, I wasn't really thinking..."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Did any of those park rangers give you a hard time up there? Bet they were freaked out to see a giant flying pigeon in the Rockies."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "I'm not a pigeon, dork, and no I was not seen."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" It went on like that while we traveled home. The stench of the sewers was a bit of a slap in the face after spending months out in the open, but I soon grew re-accustomed. Splinter was pleased to see me again and calmly asked how my extended meditation was. I knew he was really asking if I had healed the way we had hoped I would and I responded in the affirmative, much to his pleasure. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" About an hour later there was a knock at the door. Donnie jumped up to open it. To my surprise, it was April and Irma. Irma was a short, spunky, black-haired girl who used to work with April and, through a few suspicious and unexplainable encounters, had become good friends with the turtles. She was a few inches taller than me and a good two years older, but for all intents and purposes we were basically twins. We had only met once or twice in between my rescue and my leaving again, but we had become fast friends during that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe squealed when she saw me, a rare noise for her that clashed with her tom-boy personality that wouldn't touch a pair of high-heels with a thirty-foot pole. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Angel!" She cried, rushing towards me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Irma!" I laughed, catching her in a big hug. The others chuckled. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Looks like the wonder twins are reunited at last." Said Raph, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. Irma punched him in the arm and slipped her other arm around my waist. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Sorry, boys, but April and I are capturing her for the evening and a good part of tomorrow" Irma announced. "A little bird whispered in my ear that it was her birthday a few weeks ago and she conveniently forgot to inform us, so we're having a girls' night out."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" My heart style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey weren't supposed to know!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMikey's jaw dropped and his eyes grew cold and too late I realized my mistake. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "You... It was your birthday? And you didn't tell me?" Mikey asked quietly, rounding on me. I was slightly terrified. Mikey, the party animal of the family, simply loved throwing parties, especially birthday parties. And not only had I not been at home for my birthday, I had completely failed to even tell anyone it was happening. I was in deep, deep trouble. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "Mikey, just calm down," I pleaded, positioning myself behind Irma, who looked smug. Mikey would have none of it. His blue eyes were practically blazing with fury. He suddenly pointed to April, who also appeared amused. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" "You, April, will escort our winged traitor out and you and your girl friends will have a good evening doing whatever girly stuff it is you do on a night like this. Take Irma with you. My brothers and I have some serious stuff to do." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" I gulped. I wasn't sure if this was going to be the best night of my life or the worst one. /span/p