Prologue
The New York tunnels where very dark at midnight, even with the few lights which filtered in from the world above. It certainly wasn't a place for children to be wondering around, but here is where a three year old little girl found herself. She wasn't sure why she was down in the smelly tunnels. Or who she was. Only that she had somehow found her way down there.
The little girl let out a cry as she felt something cut into her bare foot. She sat down on the ground and began to sob. She was cold, hungry, tired, and she wanted her mommy. Did she even have a mommy? She suddenly looked up as she heard voices from down the tunnel, followed by a light.
"Come on Raph, let's race home!" One of the voices called. As the sounds of foots steps grew closer Isis was surprised to find two…things…in front of her. She though they kind of looked like the turtles that she somehow remember seeing once. These where a lot bigger though, bigger than her anyway, and they stood on two legs. Suddenly one of the two creatures stopped and looked at her in shock. This one had an orange bandana wrapped around his head.
"Uh oh," The second creature mumbled. This one had a red bandana, "Master Splinter!" The girl turned away from the two giant turtles and looked at the three other figures. There were two more turtles, one with a blue bandana, and the other purple. In between them, was a much larger creature covered in gray fur. This other creature also had on a red robe looking thing. The gently wiped her eye, and attempted to stand up. As she did though, the glass was shoved deeper into her foot, causing her to fall and once again begin crying.
"Master Splinter, look at her head," the turtle in blue said. The larger creature blinked, and walked over to the younger girl. It knelt down and looked at the toddler is concern.
"What is your name little one?" The creature asked. She blinked and looked up.
"I don't know, I can't rumember," the three year old whimpered. The furry thing smiled.
"It's okay little one, maybe it will come back to you, may I ask what it is you are doing down here?" The girl sobbingly shook her head.
"I don't know dat either," Isis whimpered. 'Master Splinter', as the blue turtle had called him, had a blank look suddenly, like he was thinking about something. Then his attention turned towards Isis's feet, before once again looking at the little girl.
"Would you like to come with my sons and I back to our home?" Master Splinter asked, "I have something's that can make your feet stop hurting." The little girl nodded her head and lifted her arms, silently asking to be pick up. Master Splinter smiled, before gently raising the girl and pressing her to his chest.
The creature's home wasn't too far, but by the time the strange group arrived, the three year old was sound asleep, against Master's Splinter's chest. This gave the large rat a chance to truly look over the girl. Her dark tan skin was covered in dirt, blood and scratches, not helping the fact that it looked as though the girl had been nearly starved to death. Black curls, where knotted up and also covered in grime and blood, but these things where not what had interested Splinter. Instead, it was the two little black kitten ears, which sprouted from her head, and the little, fuzzy tail, which was tucked under her dress.
"Leonardo, could you go and get the first aid kit out of the bathroom?" the turtle with the blue bandana nodded and scurried off to the bathroom amazed. This was the first time, he or any of his brother's had ever seen a human before, at least that close up, but he didn't think that they had the ears or tail like a cat. Leonardo got to the bathroom and quickly got the first aid kit from underneath the sink before running back to Master Splinter.
"Here you go father," Leonardo said. Master Splinter nodded his head in thanks, quickly turning to begin on the girl's feet. Both where extremely cut up, but her right foot still had a piece of glass inside of it. He made quickly work of it, before placing Antibiotic on the cuts and wrapping them up. Once that was finished, he grabbed a blanket of the couch and gently wrapped the young girl in it. He would worry about giving her a bath once she awoke. Then he thought of something else.
"My sons," All four of the turtle's looked up at him, "I must leave you for a while to go and retrieve some things for this little girl. I can trust that you will stay here and watch over her while I am gone?" The four turtles nodded their head, and Master Splinter left. Once he was gone, the turtles walked over and looked at the girl more closely.
"Wow, this is incredible, I've never heard of a human cat hybrid," the turtle in purple mumbled. Leonardo looked up at his younger brother.
"Do you think she is like us Don?" The turtle in the orange mask asked.
"I don' think so Mikey, why would only her ears have changed?" Don looked at his only younger brother, "No this is something entirely different I think."
"Who cares," the turtle in the red mask said, crossing his arms, "What I want ta know is what she was doin' in a place like this." The other turtles nodded in agreement with the second oldest.
"Well, all we can really do is wait for Master Splinter to return, and for her to wake up," the turtles climbed up on the couch with the girl and sat waiting for their father to return.
The little girl felt extremely tired as she opened her eyes, only to find herself looking at a roof. Underneath her was something so soft, that she almost fell back asleep. Before she could though, her feet once again began to throb, causing her to start crying once again. She just wanted the pain in her feet to stop, and for someone to hold her. Suddenly she got her wish was she felt herself being lifted a little and pressed again a hard chest. She looked up and saw the blue turtle from earlier smiling down at her.
"Hey it's okay, there's nothing to be afraid of," The turtle whispered soothingly the girl blinked a few time to clear her eyes, before laying her head down on the turtle plastron. Leo watched as the younger girl fell back asleep, this time with her thumb in her mouth. Once she had settled down Leonardo laid his head on the pillow behind him, and drifted off to sleep as well.
Master Splinter returned much later that evening with a plastic bag in tow. In the bag where a few clothes that, even if they were used, where in good condition for the toddler to wear. He was surprised to find his four son's asleep on the couch, with the little girl in Leo's lap. The site of it made Splinter smile. He knew that she wouldn't be accepted up those above, but was also curious as to how she had come to be born like this? Splinter shook his head and decided to think no more of it tonight, as he grabbed some more blankets, before walking to the couch again and covering up the turtles. Once that was complete, Master splinter turned around and walked towards his own room to get some rest.
The girl woke up once again, not knowing what time it was. Looking around, she was surprised to find she was sitting in the lap of the turtle with the blue mask. She carefully stood up, trying not to cry out as the pain once again shot from her feet up her legs. She looked around in awe at the underground home these creatures had created for themselves. The girl wondered though, what would she do now? She couldn't remember where she lived, or who her mommy and daddy where. She kneeled down on the floor trying to think. Did her mommy and daddy not love her anymore, is that why they left her here? What had she done to make them not love her? Why couldn't she remember her name?
Master Splinter walked into the room and was surprised to find the little girl kneeling on the floor with her eyes closed. It almost looked as though the young girl was meditating. This made Master splinter even more curious about the three year olds past.
"Little one, what are you doing awake so early?" Master Splinter asked, the girl looked up at him before standing up.
"I don't know, I just did," the little girl mumbled. Splinter nodded understandingly, and smiled.
"Well, I must wake my sons up for their lesson soon, would you like to watch?" the little girl nodded her head, and stood up. She followed Splinter into the living room area, and watched as Master Splinter attempted to wake to turtles up. The first two turtle, who master Splinter called Leonardo, and Donatello, where a wake within a matter of minute. Whereas the other two, Raphael and Michelangelo, where another story. Master Splinter sighed, why did these two always have to be the hardest? Finally after a brief struggle, all four turtles where awake and sitting down to breakfast. The girl sat next to Leonardo and quietly listened to the turtle's conversation.
"Hey, what do we call you?" Michaelangelo suddenly asked looking at the little girl. She thought about it, but ended up shrugging her shoulders.
"I don't know," the little girl said.
"Then perhaps we should come up with a name?" Master Splinter suggested. The little girl smiled, and nodded her head.
"What about Isabella?" Donatello suggested, "It would fit since we all have italian names." The little girl thought about it.
"Isabewa…I like it!" She chirped happily. Everyone smiled, liking the smiled that she had.
When they were done eating the six of them headed into the dojo, and the newly named Isabella sat down next to Master Splinter.
Isabella learned that the turtles where learning a fighting style called Ninjitus. She watched in awe as the brother spared against each other. Somehow the style seemed similar to her, she didn't know from where though. After a while, the sparing stopped and the four turtles gathered around Master Splinter again. Isabella heard him mention something about meditation, before the turtles closed their eyes and remained quiet. Isabella looked on in confusion, and turned to see Master Splinter doing the same thing. She shrugged her shoulders and decided to follow their lead. She closed her eyes, and before she had time to react, she was somewhere else. It still looked like she was in the dojo, but it was foggy, and Master Splinter and the turtles where gone.
"Hewo?" the three year old asked standing up. No one answered her though. Isabella walked out of the dojo and looked around. Still no one was to be seen. Now she was scared. Where did everyone go? As she got out to the middle of the living room., and deep chuckle rang throughout the lair.
"Isabella!"
Isabella opened her eyes to find everyone staring at her. She sat up and looked around to find that the fog was gone, as well as the voice. Naturally, Isabella did what any young child would do after a nightmare.
She started crying.
"Hey everything's okay Izzie," Leonardo said wrapping an arm around the younger girl. The other turtles joined him in comforting Isabella, making master Splinter smile. Maybe, just maybe if the world above ground wouldn't take little Isabella, they could.