Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT nor its characters. It belongs to Nickelodeon and artists such as Peter Laird or Kevin Eastman.
Author´s Note (A/N): Hi there! My name is Jomagaher (as you can see in my profile) and I am presenting you the translation of my very first fic in here, ffnet. As I claimed in the summary, it is an Alternative Universe (AU) in which I combine aspects of different versions from the TMNT franchise. For example, Dr. Stockman is a blond American inventor, as in the 87´ series, and Raphael tracks the streets as the "Nightwatcher" (2007 film). Also, I have made up other "plot points" of the canon, but I hope you will give it a chance.
I also want to notify that there are a lot of Original Characters (OCs). Maybe I´ll be a bit focused on them since I want to give them a good approach when the time comes for them to cross paths with the turtles... because they´ll do it in one or another way.
The translation of this chapter wouldn´t have been possible with the help of someone really special and close to me, to whom I dedicate it. I apologize if I have some errors, but I repeat English isn´t my mothertongue. However, I´ll try to improve as I publish new chapters. I don´t know when I´ll be able to post the rest, but I can assure you I will.
Have a good time and... Happy New Year!
With love.
Jomagaher.
- PROLOGUE: THE BEACH -
Long time ago…
It was really hot that day.
He could feel it in the sky, in that sun that crowned the blue sheet to reach the horizon. He could feel it in the cicada´s whistle, who sang a melody that could only be understood by them. The grass stroke his tiny legs, tickling them.
However, he felt it particularly on the white shirt sticked on his skin and his forehead beaded with sweat, clouding the sight of his sapphire eyes.
The field was green, a very deep green. The light was cast over the leaves of the trees, leaving a soft shadow along the path he had ahead.
He looked back at the stoned way that was immersed into the darkness of the forest from which he came. For a moment he feared that his friend had decided to go away at the very last moment.
But, it wasn´t like that. There he was. His tiredness could be touched even to the eyes of a blind man. He panted while he was giving some last steps before leaning on his knees. On a first sight, he was much shorter than the boy. His blond hair was thinning, lifeless, with some ringles that could be easily mistaken for the ones of a girl.
—I thought you would have been waiting like an obedient little boy— Blurted the first while he put his arm on his hips and leaned forward a bit with a smile.
His friend took a short time to answer as he recovered his breath but his tone of voice sounded firm.
—We are getting away from home very much. It will be dark very soon. What are you thinking about?—His voice sounded like a whistle because of his tiredness. He pated for a short time while he leaned on a nearby tree trunk, trying to recover the little strength he had left.
—You´ ll see. We must be near— Without waiting for an answer or any other comment, he looked ahead and continued walking at a fair speed among the trees.
The forest was starting to end. A salted air that filled up your lungs could be smelt. The young boy who was going first could hear the sound of the waves…
A setting sun welcomed them with open arms. A soft breeze stroke his hair. He stretched out his arms and closed his eyes, savoring those caressings. The caressings he wished for so long, but lost long time ago.
He took off his shoes and let the sand kiss the sole of his feet with a rough touch.
The boy with blond hair took a longer time to arrive, as he was left aback again. As soon as he saw the blue sea inmensity, together with that sun that had almost set far on the horizon, he couldn´t help letting out a surprising exclamation.
—I´ve never thought I would ever see a beach like this. I´ve lived in New York for all my life and… —That was the only thing he could murmur before staying besides his friend and listening to the sound of the waves dying on the shore.
At the end, they didn´t have to walk too much. Both boys lived in Staten Island, and the beach site was fairly near. They knew this part was going to be remodeled to change it into a touristic resort. His friend told him he had found a hidden cove which hadn´t been altered at all.
—I discovered it kast week, during one of my evening outings. If you stay, at night you can see the city lights —The boy´s blue eyes lit up with enthusiasm. His hair, black as coal, moved softly with the sound of the wind. It started getting cold— It´s beautiful…
His blond-haired friend stared at him. He rarely saw the sapphire-eyed boy smile that way. He still remembered when they met for the first time.
"Are you alone?"
He had always been somebody weak and sickly. That is why he had to miss classes in order to go to the doctor.
"Convulsions, loses of conscience…" A neverending list of disorders. That prevented him from attending classes for a whole year, so he had to repeat a whole school year. During the following one the situation improved a bit, but that didn´t avoid him to be isolated by his school mates.
"My parents said that you suffer attacks and go crazy"
"Don´t be friends with him. He is ill and it could be contagious"
At first he was shocked by those statements. Nevertheless he was soon used to be alone. His parents and teachers spoke with him about it, but he was always reluctant.
Time has passed. His schoolmates were going ahead through their lives way, and for him that year in hospital was a stop in his life. He could never catch up with them.
Then, he appeared. He came and offered held his hand to him.
"Are you alone?"
Both were solitary souls, but they had understood that they needed each other to go ahead. Destiny joined them. That couldn´t be a coincidence. And there they were.
—Did you quarrel again with…? —He started whispering, but he understood too late he shouldn´t have asked that question.
Suddenly, a frozen air enveloped them. Just for a while, the sound of the waves came down so that it was only a whisper. The sky got a bit darker. The sun had almost disappeared on the horizon.
A shadow crossed his friend´s face. The blond boy realized he clenched his fists and bent his head lightly. If you watched thoroughly, he seemed to shake with rage.
—Follow me.
The boy started to walk quickly to the left.
It took them no more than two minutes to reach their destination. The cove continued a few meters long as far as the forest that surrounded it, approaching somewhat that seemed to be…
—A cave? What´s that doing here?
It was quite small. There was just enough room for somebody a bit bigger than them. A couple of meters ahead there was only darkness around.
—Shhh, listen —Asked his friend, knitting his brow at him.
The boy with blond hair stayed as still as he could and closed his eyes, trying to concentrate…
At the beginning, he didn´t notice it. Nevertheless, when he thought his friend was playing a dirty trick on him he perceived a deep vibration, like the ones you felt deep inside your heart. However, little by little he realized what it really was.
—A growl?! —He exclaimed. Suddenly the boy with sapphire eyes laughed loudly.
—Nah, at first I thought it could be a monster, but I decided to explore a bit and the result was that his cave led to the sewer system.
—Really?
He nodded.
—I don´t know why something like that would be done, but the most important thing is that you and me are the only ones who know this place —He held his friend by his shoulders and shocked him with a wide smile— It can be our secret base! —All of a sudden he rose his eyes to the sky, where the polar star could be seen— We can see the stars when we want, we can dream about those worlds we haven´t seen yet —He walked a couple of steps towards the cave —Sometimes the biggest adventures starts at the very deep darkness, Who knows what our fate will have in store for us there inside? —He felt as if he was going to explode because of the emotion.
The blond-haired boy couldn´t avoid smiling. For a while he didn´t mind it was night and would receive the reprimand from his parents when they came back home. At that moment, they were free, solitary spirits that were looking for freedom.
When he came round, he saw his friend taking a piece of chalk out of his rucksack and drawing something on the wall. His friend couldn´t distinguish it from that distance. It was only when he reached his side when he knew he had drawn a butterfly, and an "S" and a "B" at both sides of it.
—This way will record this discovery. Remember, coincidences don´t exist. This is just the adventure of our lives —He ended that sentence with a firm approval.
Full of emotion, his friend completely agreed. However, there was something left for him to know…
—Why a butterfly…? —That was the only thing he could ask.
He didn´t have an answer. The boy with sapphire eyes turned his sight and headed for the shore. He let the sea kiss his feet once more. He rose his eyes to the sky at the time his wavy hair swayed in the wind. He seemed to be petrified, but he could still say a sentence.
—Manifest your colours and show me the way, oh, sweet messenger with multicolored wings…— The wind answered with a whisper. It seemed that it said something, but for the blond boy´s ears they could hadly be heard. His friend seemed to understand It, because he asked a question —Tell me, Baxter…
"Do you like butterflies?"