The Beauty of a Song

Introduction

This story has been a work in progress for a number of years. No other story has received the kind of careful thought and dedication that I have put into this. It has been thoroughly revised from its last posting and I hope it was for the better.

Our story takes place at not particular point in time that necessarily correlates with the seasons of the series for which it's written in. The turtles are all about the age of eighteen. The utrom shredder is still in existence. For the sake of my story, I have made him human; makes life a little easier. For the sake of the story history, the turtle have never gone into space, but they have travel to different dimensions. All other events from the series have taken place, with the exception of space travel and the shredder being a squishy red brain in a robotic man's stomach. It also does not include the Fast Forward or Back to the Sewers seasons. Those events never took place in my edited universe. I have also brought in Mona Lisa as a character. For those of you who know her original back story, I have changed it a bit, and given her an older brother.

All that said, I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor! Happy reading!

P.S.

I love detailed reviews!

Chapter One: The big day! A disturbing discovery

It was bright and sunny outside on this perfect Saturday morning. April O'Neil awoke from a restless night sleep as her excitement and anticipation of the day's upcoming events grew. This was the day she had been waiting for throughout the spring. It was the day she and her favorite group of ninja's all took their big trip to the farm house in Northampton for three whole weeks of summer fun. She jumped out of bed and ran down the hall to the living room to wake up Casey, who had stayed the night so they could get any early start.

"Casey, wake up. It's morning!"

He didn't move, so she shook his shoulders and tried again.

"Casey, wake up!"

"…Five more minutes Ma…" he moaned as he rolled over, and covered his head with his pillow.

"CASEY JONES!" She shouted.

"Wha! I'm up! I'm up!" He bolted up and fell to the floor, tangled in his bed sheets. He looked up at her. "What's up babe?"

"We got to get ready to go. We're supposed to meet the guys at eight."

"Wha'd ya' talk'n about'? We got everything packed and loaded last night. An't got noth'n left ta' do." He moaned, rubbing his head.

"You can't expect to travel in your pajamas. Get dressed, get showered, and get something to eat. I've waited months for Splinter to finally agree to go on this vacation. I want to get out of here as soon as possible before some kind of alien invasion come crashing down or a gang war breaks out. Knowing our luck, that's exactly what would happen…"

As Casey dragged himself to the bathroom, April threw on her selected travel attire, which consisted of a green tank top, a pair of coffee brown hiking shorts, and white laced sandals. Rushing to the kitchen, she popped a bagel into the toaster and threw together her purse. She tied up her hair and put her sun glasses on her top of her head. Picking up the phone she dialed the number that would connect her to Donatello's shell cell.

. . . . . . . . .

Donatello had finished packing up his laptop and putting together the group's first aid kit. He then brought his stuff out to the living room, where all the other suit cases were.

"Hey Don, do you know where Klunk's cat cage is?" asked Mikey, throwing down his duffle bag.

"I think I saw it on top of the fridge in the kitchen." He replied.

Raphael came down stairs from his room with a grungy red back pack slung over his shoulder, and looking to be in a surprisingly good mood as he greeted his younger brother.

"I can't wait ta hit that lake, bro." He threw his bag down with the rest.

"It's a lot better for swimming than flooded sewer lines." Leo commented. He and Splinter walked out of the dojo.

"Indeed, this will be a rejuvenating trip my sons. We must thank Ms. O'Neil for planning it in our favor."

"I'll say!" Michelangelo came bounding out of the kitchen with the cat cage in hand. "It's gonna be a blast!" He scooped up Klunk off the floor and gently placed him inside. "When are we going?" he asked.

"As soon as April calls, we'll go up to the warehouse to load up," Don answered.

Ring, ring, ring!

"That must be her," he answered his cell.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

"Hello."

"Hey Don, are you guys ready to go?"

"Yep, we're all packed and ready."

"Great! Casey and I will meet you in about fifteen minutes."

"Okay. See ya' in a few."

With that she hung up and turned to Casey who was sitting at the kitchen table. He wore a pair of blue jeans with ripped knees, a red basketball jersey, and white sneakers. He looked up at her from his bowl with a mouth full of Captain Crunch.

"All shet, babe?" he mumbled.

"Yep, they're heading up now." She quickly washed out Casey's cereal bowl as he picked up his duffle bag and her suit case, and headed out the door.

She locked up her apartment and then the store as they left. Then they climbed into her "hippy van", as Casey called it, and headed for the warehouse.

. . . . . . . . .

Leo picked up his dark blue duffle bag and Splinters suitcase and followed his brothers into the elevator that lead to the warehouse above their layer. At the top, Don locked down the layer and set the security codes. He was just as excited to get to the farmhouse as his brothers. Three whole weeks out in the sun, breathing the fresh country air and hearing the sounds of nature. Like Raph had said, he too couldn't wait to jump in the crystal clear lake behind the house and enjoy the cool, clean water.

They'd make bon-fires and go hiking in broad daylight without having to worry about someone seeing them. Being out there would allow him and his brothers to experience new things and be sort of laid back for once in their hectic lives. There had been no sign of The Foot for months and the police where handling the Purple Dragons with little to no trouble. They could get away and relax without having to worry about their city being in danger.

They didn't have to wait long before April pulled into the warehouse, smiling ear-to-ear. It was her idea to take this trip and she was the one who convinced Master Splinter to go for it.

"All aboard!" she called.

They all climbed in the back and took their seats. Don, Raph, and Casey had upgraded her van into a mini battle shell of sorts, in case she ever got into a high speed chase with a gang of goons. They had put in bus seats, cabinets, a small radar system, TV, and a stereo. Casey switched places with April and took the driver seat.

"Here we go." He started up the van and took off toward the country side.

"Wahoo!" shouted Mikey from his seat next to Don, who flinched from the sudden loud noise. "We're on vacation!"

"That was my ear drum, Mikey." Don moaned.

Raph slapped Mikey on the back of the head from his seat behind him.

"Ouch!"

April looked back with a chuckle. "You guys want to listen to some music?"

"Sure April." answered Leo.

She pulled a CD out of her purse and slipped it into the stereo. The music was up- beat and catchy. It had an almost techno sound to it and the female vocalist sang in a voice that was sweet and clear. Leo perked up.

"Hey, she's singing in Japanese." Mikey announced.

Leo inquired. "Is this the singer you were telling us about the other night April?"

"Yeah." April handed him the CD case. "Her name is Hanako Megumi." She explained. "I saw her CD in a music store a couple weeks ago and thought I would give it a try since you all got me into Japanese pop songs."

"You can give Mikey all the credit for that." Don looked up from his lap top. "The only pop I'm into is the kind you drink."

"I think she rocks!" Mikey exclaimed, bobbing his head to the beat.

"Again, that was my ear Mikey…" moaned Donatello, rubbing his sore ear.

Everyone started getting into the music, bobbing their heads and swaying back and forth. Even Raph was got into it, if you call tapping your fingers getting into it.

"I love her music. It always makes me want to sing along and dance." April laughed.

"Do you even know what she's saying April?" Don chuckled.

"Dats exactly my point." said Casey. "I don't know why ya like it so much, babe, when ya don't know what's being said."

"Get with the program dude. I understand her just fine," Mikey reprimanded.

"That's because we were taught Japanese, Mikey," Leo pointed out.

"Yeah well, even if I didn't, that wouldn't stop me from liking it." He shrugged it off.

April turned the radio down a degree as the song came to an end, letting the CD play on.

Don opened his laptop and typed in a search for Hanako Megumi as the next song, began to play. "That's strange…" he said thoughtfully.

"What is it Donnie?" Asked Leo.

"Well, when I googled Hanako Megumi, all that comes up in google images is this CG anime character. Apparently, this character stars in the music videos too."

"That's because she's a fictional star, Don." April explained. "Like the Vocaloids."

"Then who does the singing?" He asked.

"I don't know, probably some Japanese girl." She shrugged.

"Hmm…" Don began typing away. "I can't find anything about who voices her…"

"Maybe it's all done with computers?" April suggested.

"No, her voice is real. Wow. She's really popular in Japan." He brought up a website. "She's got top rating with a lot of record companies and raving reviews from fans."

"Well she's got good music. What did you expect?" Asked Mikey.

"Why does that surprise you Donnie?" Asked April.

"She's not real. Yet people are crazy about her. Her voice is probably stolen from some hard working artist who doesn't get any credit, because it comes out of a cartoon character."

April rolled her eyes. "While I see your point, just enjoy it for what it is. It's good music. I'm sure the actually singer gets plenty of zeros on her paycheck." She focused her attention on the scenery outside.

Don shrugged and went back to his typing.

The rest of the trip was spent in idol conversation and the usual arguments between the brothers. Leo looked around at his family laughing and enjoying themselves in the van. It brought a warm smile to his face. When he looked up at April and Casey, smiling contently at one another, his expression faded.

He was reminded of an all too familiar loneliness he harbored. Even though he was surrounded by the people he loved, that sadness crept its way into his heart every now and then. He and his brothers knew they would never know how it felt to have someone love them that way, the way April and Casey loved each other, and they accepted that. But the desire, the want, was still there. He felt it every time he saw a couple walking through the street, enjoying the evening air and each other's company. He felt it every time he let himself watch some sappy movie on TV. He felt it every time he saw how happy, how in love April and Casey were with each other. Even after he had learned his lesson in love, after he had been betrayed, the longing was still there.

He looked out the one way window at the other cars passing by. He could only imagine what it would be like holding and being held by someone who could love him in a way his family never could. But just imagining such a thing seemed impossible as well, foolish even. He was only torturing himself. He had a responsibility to lead his brothers, and being the one to guide and protect them when things took a turn for the worst. Though it would be nice to have someone he could talk to about his inner struggles and sometimes overwhelming burdens, it was an impossible dream.

Throughout his young life, he had faced difficulties' unlike anyone else. The stress, pressure, and pain was sometimes almost too much to bear. He formed an unhealthy habit of always being tense, on guard, and ready to strike back at any attacker. True relaxation almost never came to him, even in sleep; It was always with one eye open. Oh, he talked to Splinter about his struggles many times. He'd meditated for hours, but no one truly knew how it felt to carry a burden as large as his. Everything he did, all the pain he felt over his life time, all the stress, anxiety; it was all for his brothers, his family. The more he could feel, the more he could set their minds at ease, the better. How do you do that? By being a strong leader who doesn't break, always keeps their head on straight, and encourages his team. He lifts their spirits, ignites their fire, and leads the charge. He doesn't get to vent, wine, or relax.

Then again, maybe he was being too negative; too hard on himself. He had the habit of doing that too. Maybe this vacation would do him some good and break a few of his bad habits. Maybe he would find a way to relax, and learn to wind down when there was no danger looming overhead; like when he was younger. When he wasn't the leader…

Casey ejected the CD, despite April's protests, and turned the radio to his favorite rock station, pulling Leo from his thoughts. His smile returned as he watched his brothers bang their heads to the rock n' roll. Even Splinter decided to play along, sporting the rock-on symbol with his hand in the air.

He laughed a loud. It was moments like this that made it all worth it, he supposed.

But, as the carefree travelers drove on, a figure stood upon a rooftop. Cloaked in shadow, and watched them go. "They have left the city." He spoke into his ear piece, reporting back to his Foot comrades.

TT

By noon they pulled into a dirt driveway and up to the farm house. "You guys are gonna love the place. Me and my cousin Sid fixed it up real good this past winter." Casey explained. "We patched up all da holes, painted da walls, fixed da squeaky floor boards. It's great!" As soon as the vehicle stopped, Mikey grabbed the cat carrier and leaped out the back of the van.

"Oh yeah, let the summer fun begin!" He ran for the porch as everyone else got out with their luggage in hand.

"Mikey wait, Casey has the key!" April called after him.

Mikey reached out with his free hand to open the door, but when he touched the knob the door slowly creaked open. The house was already unlocked and open!

"Uh, Casey, your house is open," he called back.

"What!" He dropped his bag and ran past Mikey into the house. "Holy crap!" Casey cried.

The house was a wreck. The sheets that covered the furniture had been ruffed up and pulled away, the couch cushions had been torn, the coffee table was split in half, and pictures had been knocked off the walls.

"Whoa..." said Mikey, stepping in behind Casey.

"Casey!" April called. "Casey, is anything stolen?" she asked running up next to him. She gasped at what she saw and clung to his arm.

The others quickly filed into the living room, leaving their luggage on the porch.

"What the hell…" muttered Raph, surveying the scene.

Leo looked around with narrowed eyes.

"Let's search the house guys," he suggested. "And be cautious."

Raph peered into the kitchen. Cabinet doors were hanging by a hinge, and dishes were scattered on the kitchen floor in bits and pieces. April huddled close to Casey as the turtles searched the house. What looked to be claw marks were etched in various placed along the walls and practically covered the floor. Splinter walked over to the nearest set of claw marks and examined them closely. They were large and deep. He then observed a broken window at the far end of the living room above the couch. He assumed that was how the intruder had gotten in. Looking back at the door, he saw no forced entry. It had been unlocked from the inside.

While Raphael continued to look through the disaster of the kitchen, Leo, Don and Mikey headed up stairs. Don and Mike searched the second floor while Leo continued up into the attic. The bedrooms and bathrooms on the second floor were spotless. Up in the attic Leo the beds were still neatly made from their last visit, and the furniture still covered with sheets. Everything seemed untouched.

Down stairs, Raph found no damage towards the back of the house. He searched carefully, eyes narrowed, gritting his teeth. Situations like this stoked his fire. He was ready pounce, sai in hand. He glanced around the laundry room then stood by the backdoor. He unlocked and opened it, looking out through the screen. There was nothing. He walked back into the living room as the others came back down stairs.

"There's no monster up stairs," Mike announced.

"No damage or anything." Don added.

The four turtles joined Master Splinter by the fire place.

"We found nothing, Master. This is the only damaged area," Leo reported.

"Hmm…this is very concerning…" he said thoughtfully.

"All dat time and money!" shouted Casey. "Just to have some low life come waltzing in hear and trash da place!"

"Who, or what do you think could have done this?" asked April, examining claw marks in the wall.

"I am not certain my dear." Splinter answered.

She ran her finger along the fire place mantle.

"It must have been a while ago," she said as she proceeded to inspect the coffee table. "There's a layer of dust on everything."

"Dats cause da house has been opened up," Casey said. "Just a bigger mess ta clean. We had it all closed up tight so it would be a breeze ta move right back in. Now it's a mess!" He crossed his arms.

April took his hand. "At least now one was hurt." She said reassuringly. Casey glanced at her and sighed, pulling her into a warm embrace. "Yeah, babe." She rested her head on his chest.

Splinter stepped out the front door and walked down the porch steps onto the fresh grass. He stared intently into the woods that surrounded the house with narrowed eyes, looking for signs of danger. The others followed him and stood on the porch. His ears twitched, searching for foreign sounds. He breathed in the air.

"Whoever it was that came here, they have long since left my sons." He turned to the group. "Let us go back inside the house and settle in. We shall meditate on this tomorrow. There is much cleaning to be done before we can begin to relax. We all have had a long journey and are out of possible danger for now."

They all nodded and he lead them back inside.

"Master Splinter, do you think they'll be back?" April asked.

"Perhaps." He continued thoughtfully. "It is too early to say."

"Oh, I hope dey come back so I can pound dem into da-"

"Casey." April interrupted. "Try to calm down. There's nothing we can do about it right now. You're getting yourself all worked up…" she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

He heaved a heavy sigh. "I know babe. I was just so excited for yous guys ta see the place all fixed up. Then dis happened…"

"Look on the bright side. This is the only room that got damaged; the rest of the house is still in once piece. I'm sure the this won't seem so bad after its all clean up." She smiled encouragingly.

"Eh. I guess you're right. It still ticks me off." He grunted.

"I'm with Casey on dis one." Raph said, looking just as miffed.

April cleared her throat. "Well, let's get to work guys." She began to give orders and directed her cleanup crew to get the house back in order. The kitchen was the first to be tidied up, wear-in her and Don made lunch for the group.

By evening the house had been swept, dusted, and rid of broken glass. Casey boarded up the broken window in the living room and April sewed up the couch cushions as best she could, and covered then with spare pillow cases. Donatello then rejoined her in the kitchen to make dinner. She and Casey would go to the market in the morning to get more supplies. The other turtles unpacked their things upstairs in the attic, placing what little clothing they owned in closets and dressers. Mikey set up Klunk's bed and litter box and opened the cage so he could walk out. Klunk leapt from the cat carrier and ran into the center of the room. He skidded to a halt and sniffed the air. He hissed and ran into Mike's arms, every hair on his back standing on end.

"Whoa! What's wrong buddy?" Mike scratched him behind the ears to try to calm him down. "He's all freaked out."

"Hmm…" Leo walked over to the window and saw there was nothing outside that would intimidate or frighten the cat. The sun was setting and there were long shadows stretching across the ground, it would be the perfect time to stealth train, but that wasn't what they came to do.

"There's nothing outside, so let's not think about it for now. Let's go downstairs and see if we can help with dinner."

The others nodded and went down stairs. Leo looked out the window one last time, just to be sure. He hated the threatening feeling that lingered in his stomach. Then he saw it. Someone ran across the lawn. He bolted down stairs, pushing past his brothers, and out the front door.

"Leo?" Raph called.

"Leo, what is it!?" April asked from the kitchen, hearing the commotion.

"My son!" Splinter got out of his chair.

Leo stood in the yard and saw the figure running for the woods. He took off after it. In the dim light he could tell they were small, but fast, and wore a hooded coat.

"Stop!" he called.

The stranger ran faster.

Leo quickened his pace, caught up, and tackled them to the ground. They screamed and squirmed under him. For their size, they were surprisingly strong.

"I'm not going to hurt you!" he said quickly.

For a moment the struggling lessened as the trespasser glanced back at him. Leo caught a glimpse of striking blue eyes before- "Get off her!" another voice, young and strong, shouted.

Leo looked up and was suddenly hit in the side and rolled off the squirming girl. It felt like he was struck with one of Casey's metal bats, but the voice wasn't Caseys. He got to his knees and saw a much larger person running away with the smaller. He couldn't make out eithers ones features through his blurred vision, and they soon disappeared into the woods. Tackling probably wasn't the best course of action he could have chosen.

"Leo!" Raph called as he and the others came up behind him. "What happened bro?"

"I… I saw someone sneaking around the house. I ran after them." He moaned. "I think I got hit with a bat." Raph helped him to his feet.

"Did they see you my son?" Splinter asked quickly.

"No sensei…"

They stood in silence, starring into the darkness.

"Until we have some answers my sons, you will not go into the forest alone…" he said in a low voice. "This place may no longer be safe for us…"

Don stepped up to look at Leo's side.

"Ouch, that's gonna leave a bruise…"

"It was a metal bat." Leo groaned.

"Dude…" Mikey winced when he saw the already swelling area.

"Let's get you back to the house and put some ice on that." Don helped his brother back to the house where April and Casey were waiting where they were told to stay.

"What happened?" April asked worriedly.

"Leo got mistaken for a baseball. They tried to hit him home." Mikey joked. Raph slapped him upside the head. "Ouch!"

"No good neighbors!" Casey ranted. "Probably some stupid kids plan'n on egg'n da front pouch, or paint'n graffiti of da side of the barn. I tell ya, does people really get on my nerves." He huffed.

April rolled her eyes. "I'll get an ice pack." April scurried off to the kitchen as Donnie helped his broth to the couch.

TT

Later that night, Leo lay in bed with his side wrapped up in an ice pack. It's hard to sleep with ice on your side, and with thoughts of danger lurking in the woods around you. He knew the being he encountered to be female. None but a woman could scream like that. Plus the man had said "her". He moaned in frustration. This was supposed to be a place they could all come and be safe; a place to relax and get their minds off things. Now a mystery presented itself, one that could endanger his family. With a sigh, he closed his eyes, letting sleep finally take him over.

Things will look up in the morning. He hoped.

Leo closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

TT

He stood on the shore of a mist covered lake and looked up at the full moon. There was a chill in the air. He was walked along the lakes edge. He stopped suddenly as he heard a sound rising out of the fog. It was singing. The melody was hauntingly beautiful, sung by a voice that made his whole body feel numb. The mist began to engulf him. A stone path rose out of the water. He followed it, towards the voice. His palms began to sweat. His nerves were on end. He narrowed his eyes as he got closer, to see the image that was unfolding before him. A girl stood on a floating raft in the center of the lake's glassy surface with her back to him. Her long raven hair flowed in the soft breeze. She wore a long white gown that trailed behind her, and a sash draped over her arms. She was the source. His body froze. She must be very beautiful. He was all at once enchanted by her. As he got closer, the shadows of creatures as tall as buildings and as small as a mouse appeared in the mist, their eyes glow an eerie white. They turned to him, their glances following him as he came to the edge of the raft. He slowly began to reach for her. Suddenly, the girl spun around. He starred into her piercing pale blue eyes. He had never seen eyes so blue. In that instant, all the creatures cried out in their own voices and lighting flashed. Her eyes suddenly turned a threatening red. Leo jumped back. Within seconds, she had transformed into a monstrous creature; long, sharp claws, spikes, drooling fangs, a killers stair, and a vicious roar. He was filled with fear. All the animals attacked as one and he felt the ground beneath him disappear. He fell screaming into a thick darkness, surrounded by the creature's high pitched roaring.

Leo shot up in bed with a shout! Sweat falling from his forehead. He looked around frantically, waiting for an attack. For the monster to appear and devour him! Never had he had such a powerful vision; so many emotions at once. He steadied his breathing and slowed his heart, fearing it was beating so loud that it would wake the others, if his cry hadn't done so already. It was the middle of the night, everyone was sound asleep. He sighed and lay back down. What had triggered such a dream? He tried to go back to sleep, but it seemed impossible. He looked towards the window. His head was full of questions. The biggest one being, what was out there?