Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Severed
Ninjara's Story, Black Swan
Chapter I – Disconnected
November 21st, 2010; Nome Alaska
The November wind tore right through Ninjara's wool bridge coat and dark brown fur as she stood upon the dock waiting for the seaplane to land. It was going to be a long and cold winter this year, and the thought caused the fox-woman to cross her arms over her lithe body and shiver. Even though the wind was bitter off the Bering Sea, Ninjara was in high spirits; her family was coming to see her.
It took a lot of convincing through letters to her grandmother and her brother for the fox-people to leave their haven off the coast of Japan, but times had changed. Ninjara could still remember when her and some...friends, were revealed to the world. First the humans were afraid, but it seemed like over night that her kind were allowed to roam through the streets in plain sight. Then more of what the humans called mutants revealed themselves to the world; there were actually more than people knew existed, even to Ninjara!
Still, there was a long way to go. The adopted village home she currently lived in miles away was treated as a Native American reservation, humans came and with them the industries of man. With so much untamed beauty surrounding the small mountain village; the home of the wolf-people, the human need for resources swept in. The forest was now being mowed down, oil refineries were being erected, and the wolf-people simply handed it over in favor of color television, money, manufactured food and worst of all, alcohol.
It was the only way man would let animals live among them, subjugated and cornered into one small village. Most of the wolf-people left the caves they once lived in for prefab housing, succumbing to temptations and giving up on their way-of-the-land living. Most were on welfare, others worked for the industries, so few held onto the old ways.
Even her soon-to-be husband, Mokoshan; once proud leader of the wolf-people gave up his position to work as a crab fisherman out of Nome. Thankfully he was at home now, waiting for the arrival of Ninjara and her relatives. This was the most important day of Ninjara's life, two families, world's apart but related by specific genetic codes meeting for the first time.
It was a mixture of fear and excitement that gripped Ninjara's heart as it pounded in her chest. Her throat was tight, the anticipation was making her head throb...soon her family would be here. While most of the wolf-people let go of ancient tradition, Ninjara and Mokoshan agreed that their families should meet and approve of the marriage before it took place, especially now that she was pregnant.
Blowing a strand of errant black hair out of her eyes, Ninjara hugged her noticeable stomach through her coat. A baby would soon be born, three more months the doctor in Nome had figured. To avoid shock and surprise, Ninjara had already told her family of the child and though the fox-people were very traditional in such matters; her grandmother wrote back expressing joy.
She then heard the engines of an incoming aircraft. Ninjara squinted her blue eyes and peered into the cloudy sky, yes—there is was. The white wings, the red body, there was no mistaking it; the A-1 Husky Seaplane drifting down to the water was none other than the one carrying her grandmother, two brothers and one sister. Ninjara almost let out a squeal of excitement as she rushed, albeit minding her step on the icy dock to the edge where the plane would pull up.
Ninjara stared at the craft, trying to see into the windows to catch a glimpse of the family members she had not seen it well over a decade. Impossible due to the altitude, but it did not stop her from trying.
"They're here, baby." She whispered, cradling her stomach as the plane touched the grey sea and moved into position alongside the dock. Shielding her face for a moment from the sea spray cast off the propeller of the aircraft, Ninjara could still not see her family until the engine was finally silenced and the passenger door was opened.
First the human pilot exited the vehicle, a man Ninjara did not even know but was well paid by Mokoshan. Next was her brother Naga and Ninjara lit up the brightest smile she had shown in years. No longer the impressionable and naïve boy Ninjara remembered, now he was a grown man of 6 feet in height, slender and handsome. Ninjara almost let out a laugh, he still sported the short buzz cut she remembered. Though grown and probably able to fetch any woman he pleased, Naga still seemed like the dork Ninjara used to tease when they were children.
Like the wolf-people, the fox-people also made contact with the humans after mutants started appearing all over the world in the eyes of man; though at a much slower and careful place. Humans and fox-people traded with each other, but the Japanese government signed a special treaty with the fox-people. The island surrounded by fog the fox-people lived on for hundreds of years would remain theirs and no human was to take up residence, allowing the fox-people whom the Japanese called Kitsune to continue an unmolested traditional way of life.
Still, Naga wore manufactured clothing. A long black coat whipped around his body from the wind, upon it were various patches with kanji slogans and a rising sun. Beneath the coat he wore a loose fitting white t-shirt that hung over his black baggy pants tucked into black boots. Though it was overcast, Naga wore a pair of large sunglasses that he probably thought looked cool but instead were too big for his narrow face. Then again, Ninjara was thinking of a much younger Naga; this one could almost pass for a menacing gangster or bōsōzoku.
He did not acknowledge Ninjara, instead he turned his back to her. Ninjara felt a stab at her heart until she realized the young man was helping her grandmother into the dock from the plane.
Tears stung Ninjara's eyes. Though this was supposed to be a happy reunion, she had to look upon her elderly grandmother, Mitsuko. She had not aged well since their last meeting—a once spry old fox-woman was now nearly crippled, hunched over with cane and her eyes were almost as white as fresh snow from the cataracts that robbed her of her vision. Ninjara rushed over, taking her grandmother's arm. The old woman was dressed in a layered kimono, a scarf and over top that a parka. The elderly fox-woman let out a gruff laugh,
"Come now, children. I may not be able to see but I can find my way out of this damned contraption on my own!"
Still, Ninjara and Naga helped her upon the dock and then Ninjara hugged her tight.
"Grandmother! I am so happy you are here!"
Her grandmother returned the hug, smiling as she did so and calling Ninjara by her given name.
"Umeko, your happiness is all I wish of you and the reason why we have come so far to see you. I have missed you my dear."
Ninjara swallowed the lump In her throat that had been there for the past few days of anticipation, wiped her eyes clear of tears and turned to Naga; hugging him as well.
"How are you, Naga?"
He returned the hug, laughing.
"Fine, Umeko. Did you not think we would make it?"
"No, no." Ninjara replied, releasing her grip on the man. "I have just missed you. Where is Tetsuma and Akiro?"
Right on queue, her two youngest siblings appeared from the craft. How they had grown! The fraternal twins were but mere children when Ninjara last saw them but now, now Akiro was a man in his 20s and Tetsuma a young and beautiful woman! This revelation almost floored Ninjara as she ran over and hugged them both at once. They too had deemed modern clothing was much more comfortable than the hand made kimonos and robes of the fox-people, but they did not have the same flourish that Naga displayed. With lighter colored fur than both Ninjara and Naga, the two wore identical black gakuran, a typical high school uniform worn by students in Japan; though clearly they were not in high school.
"Umeko-chan! Your belly is so big!" Tetsuma remaked, placing her hand upon Ninjara's stomach. "It is strange to see you this far in pregnancy, it seems though it's been a life time since we have seen you!"
"It has been." Ninjara said with a smile, "It feels like it's been two lifetimes."
"Then we must start catching up immediately, my child." Ninjara's grandmother said. "Is this where we are staying?"
"No, no." Ninjara replied. "I'm sorry, grandmother but your long journey is almost over. We'll just get your luggage and take my truck to the vill—"
"You drive?!" Akiro barked. Ninjara laughed,
"Of course I do, Akiro. The humans have been kind enough to allow me to pass a driver's test; and only after the fifth time!"
Naga let out a sarcastic heh to Ninjara's comment as he went about collecting luggage from the plane, which Ninjara immediately raised a questioning eyebrow to.
"Something wrong, little brother?"
"What can I say, my dear sister," Naga said, throwing a bag over his shoulder. "I never imagined you of all people would accept the human ways so easily."
"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Ninjara questioned.
"Ignore your brother, Umeko." Her grandmother interrupted before a sibling rivalry could break out. "Since you last seen him, Naga has become a staunch supporter in the old ways. If it were not for my cane meeting his shins; he would not have even boarded a plane to come see you. Even if he does dress like a human clown." The last comment was met with laughter from Testumo and Akiro while Naga just rolled his eyes.
"These are the clothes worn of men who rebel against authority, grandmother." Naga commented, "Just as I rebel against the humans who want to study our kind for so-called scientific reasons."
"That will be quite enough, Naga." Mitsuko said, "Your sister would probably like this to be a happy visit and not one filled with your theories on how man is trying to enslave us. More importantly my dear grand daughter, how is your child?"
Naga said no more, instead leaving Ninjara to speak with her grandmother as they all walked down the dock to a 1998 Ford Explorer parked nearby.
"She is doing fine, grandmother. The doctor said this is probably the healthiest pregnancy he has ever seen."
"She?" The elderly woman asked.
"Yes. Since I am not keen on surprises, we had the doctor do an ultrasound."
"Do you have any names planned, Umeko-sama?" Akiro asked, helping Naga by carrying luggage to the truck.
"A few, but that's still a few months away. Right now we have other things to worry about, like you meeting Mokoshan."
Naga let out another heh as they arrived at the green vehicle and Ninjara helped them load up their baggage. She paid him no mind.
"I hope the trip is not too much further, Umeko. I could use some tea and some rest." Mitsuko said, being helped into the back seat by Tetsuma as Ninjara climbed behind the wheel, pushing her bushy tail into a more comfortable sitting position.
"Only a couple of hours, grandmother. Mokoshan and his family are quite excited to meet you all, there is a big dinner planned for this evening with the chief of the village."
The trip to the village, now named Akluitok for the purpose of government records was quicker than Ninjara originally suggested due to the conversation at hand and the wonder her family expressed at the beautiful landscape that surrounded them. Again, there was a pang in Ninjara's heart as she felt for her poor grandmother who could not see the wonders around them as they first drove down a highway and then a logging trail. Still, the twins pointed out everything and explained in great detail with poet's talent about the sights around them.
Ninjara's grandmother had been a mystic in their village, and sensing Ninjara's feelings over the old woman through empathy more than wizardry; Mitsuko rest a hand upon Ninjara's that shifted the Exploer into 4-wheel drive for the change in terrain.
"Do not worry for me, Umeko." Her grandmother said. "Though I cannot see with my eyes, I can smell the pine; hear the calls of wildlife and feel the life in this land. Only my eyes are blinded."
Ninjara smiled,
"I know, grandmother. It...it has just been so long since I have seen you. Really, I am happy."
As they closed in on Akluitok, the scenery began to change. Forests were cut down, oil pipelines and refineries dotted the landscape and the mood of the twins turned from wonder to contempt in mere seconds. An awkward silence filled the Ford, and when they arrived finally to the village it quickly became apparent just how human Ninjara really was now.
A casino was the first sight, followed by billboards for Burger King, H&R Block and an Exxon gas station. When they finally arrived in the residential area, all of the houses were 1 story, white, with brown roofing and seemed to be created from the same blueprint. While clearly not slums, most were in dire need of repair with doors hanging off hinges, missing paint, cracks in the foundations and other structural issues.
Ninjara felt embarrassed suddenly. Coming from the beauty of the mist covered fox-people island to what most people called a reservation must have been culture shock for her family, and she went out of her way to bypass the adult store and the several bars located within the same two blocks. The silence was unbearable now, so Ninjara had to switch on the radio; fumbling through stations until she found local news.
From caves to government subsidized housing within a mere couple of years, but did it help? Did modernization of the wolf-people really help them? Ninjara drove down the main avenue of the village, unpaved due to lack of funding. She looked in the rear view mirror to see Akiro pointing out something to Tetsuma. A haggard wolf-man, dressed in tattered clothing was stumbling down the sidewalk with a bottle of wine in his hand, yelling obscenities at passing motorists. Again, Mitsuko squeezed the hand of her grand daughter and whispered,
"Do not be ashamed, Umeko. The world is a different place now, we are all having trouble adapting."
Finally, on the other side of town Ninjara and family arrived at a simple 3 bedroom house where they would be staying. Awaiting their arrival was Mokoshan, a mountain of a wolf-man who stood in the driveway anticipating their arrival. Dressed in a red plaid shirt and jeans, the wolf stood at an impressive 6'4" with a barrel chest as wide as some men were tall. He gave a wave and then approached the Explorer as Ninjara turned off the engine.
Ninjara left the vehicle, but side stepped Mokoshan to help her grandmother from the truck. The wolf-man just stood back with a smile as his in-laws stepped out and into the small fenced yard. Ninjara was the one to make introductions as she approached her future husband finally.
"My family, this is Mokoshan."
"Welcome, I hope you had a pleasant journey?" He asked, first approaching Naga with an outstretched hand in greeting. Naga did not accept it, instead he bowed his head in acknowledgment.
"As pleasant as can be." Naga said, already working on retrieving baggage from the back of the truck. Tetsuma and Akiro helped, first bowing slightly to their host. Mokoshan must have looked dejected, for Ninjara offered a smile to him.
"It is just their way, Mokoshan. We are a traditional family."
"I know, Mooneyes. I forget this sometimes."
Finally, he was introduced to Ninjara's grandmother; and he bowed before her.
"Family of Umeko is family of mine, my home is your home." Mokoshan stated.
"You are as generous as my grand daughter has write about in her letters, and probably just as handsome too." Mitsuko added in a sly chuckle to the last part of her statement, making Ninjara blush under her fur.
"Umeko is too flattering, I am but a simple man Mitsuk...err, grandmother." Mokoshan wrinkled his nose; not sure what to call the old woman in this situation. Thankfully Mitsuko was on top of the situation.
"Grandmother will do just fine, Mokoshan." She said, taking Ninjara's hand. "Now Umeko, show me to your home so I may do something I have not done since we boarded the plane."
"Oh, right grandmother. I shall prepare tea."
"Do not worry about that, child." The elderly fox-woman said with a laugh, "But if I do not empty my bladder soon I may cause a flood."
"Grandmother!" Ninjara said with a shocked tone.
Mokoshan was not in the lest bit offended, laughing at the old woman's humor as she and Ninjara entered the house. The younger fox-people were still unloading the truck, so Mokoshan offered his assistance.
"Need a hand with that?" He asked, approaching Naga who was carrying a large duffle bag. Right away Mokoshan was taken aback when Naga said,
"Simply because my sister has fallen for you, wolf-man; does not mean we are in the same favor. If I needed your help I would have asked for it." Naga then shoved his way past the man and towards the house, leaving only Akiro and Testumo.
"Don't mind him." Akiro said, closing the back of the Explorer.
"He's just grumpy like that all the time." Tetsuma added, picking up a Hello Kitty backpack and slinging it over her shoulder. Mokoshan could only nod as the two siblings walked to their lodgings. The wolf-man let out a sigh and stared out towards the mountains that surrounded the village of Akluitok, and to himself he said.
"I have a feeling this is going to be an interesting family reunion."
Author's Notes
The story presented to you is based mostly on the TMNT Archie Comics universe with some minor changes and amalgamation from Mirage, the 2003 series, even the TMNT RPG released by Palladium. Splinter is dead (we're just gonna get that out of the way now), and by Splinter I mean the rat turned into a bigger rat; not the human turned into a smaller rat.
For 5+ years I have been working on this fanfic in note form. Seriously, there is a mountain of scribbled notes, text files and research material for my project. At one point I finally sat down and began writing it, but the nature of it didn't quite fit what I was really wanting to accomplish.
The story takes place in several parts. The introductory parts are the basis for the meat of the book. The introduction takes place in 2010, 1 year after the death of Master Splinter from heart attack and how 5 characters: Raphael, Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Ninjara have all gone on to lead new lives; some filled with wonder and excitement, others with thoughts of suicide and loneliness.
The main portion of the story takes place 10 more years in the future in a world gone completely mad with technology and corporate ruling. It is a reunion for our heroes, but with a twist so shocking it would make any TMNT fan crap themselves. Seriously. I kid you not. I told friends of what I was writing and the collective "holy shit" inspired me to finally start writing after 3 years of not doing so.
I now present you with the 1st chapter, of the 1st introduction of the book. This is Ninjara's story. When last we left her it was in issue #70 of the Archie Comics series, subsequently the end of the series where Ninjara left Raphael to stay in Alaska. So what happened after that?
Since it has been forever in a day since I have write anything other than snarky retro-gaming reviews, I would like some feedback.
Keep in mind, this is not going to be a total OMG ACTION KILL NINJA STARSSSSS type of book. While there will be plenty of ninja...ing, going on; this is a character driven tale of a family torn apart.