Author's Note

I don't own TMNT, only Eric and Liliana Dragonshard

Hey guys, I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, this took me forever! And I apologize on the prologue being so short. This runs side by side with my other story, 'The Eric Dragonshard Journals; How I became a Mutant'. If you haven't read it yet, I suggest you do, this'll make a lot more sense. Enough of my chattering. Onward!

Chapter 1: Song of Shadows Appearance

Liliana(POV)

New York. The city that never sleeps. The Big Apple. Home to the Statue of Liberty, 8 million people, and mutants, aliens and super villains! My name is Liliana Dragonshard, and this is my tale.

It was a dark night. The sun had set some hours ago, so the moon and stars could reign. On the roof tops ran 5 indistinct shapes, one far ahead, and the other four following swiftly after. My brother, a brave little dude, playing fox and hounds to protect me. A lot of responsibility for an 8 year old to take up. I pulled my cloak around me tighter, trying to think.

He was leading them off, our parents are gone...I felt tears well up, but forced them back. There would be time for crying later. I finally decided to head back to the apartment. I could store our stuff in the Duat, then draw it out later when we set up our new home. I set out, leaping, diving, and rolling across the rooftops as soon as they were out of sight.

I went in through my window when I got there, closing it behind me. We have a pretty nice apartment, but since I'm only 14, I'd be taken into custody or something. I walked around, reminiscing about the time we spent here. We got here barely 2 months ago, and already, everything is different. I shook myself out of it, getting to work.

I know that I can't take everything, so I take the favorite and most special things. Our favorite blankets, pillows, our sleeping bags. I drag out our clothes, and pack first one, then another duffel bag with them. Things for hot summers and cold winters, as well as our stuffed animals. I have a stuffed fox, and Eric has a cat.

Each one has little wings on their backs, that I made myself. After putting the duffel bags, blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags in our bedroom, I work around the rest of the house. I snag all the cash there is to be found, and stuff it into my smallest backpack. Luckily, it's black as night. I pack a light blanket, 2 water bottles, a sandwich, a pocket knife, and the toy fox and cat into the pack.

I put it on, then turn my attention to the tech. I take our two laptops, and put each one in the duffel bags. I snag our cellphones, our favorite board games, and all the movies we have. We only have 8, so...yeah. When I can't fit anymore into the duffel bags, I get the biggest back pack there is, then put in the pillows, blankets, and other electronics in.

I put all of this into the Duat, then gather everything else that has good value, whether in cash or memories, and put it in as well. I check and double check that I have everything I need, before doing one last thing. After sound-proofing the apartment, I pull out a hammer, some boards and nails from the Duat, and start hammering.

First, I sealed the front door, with lock, key, and covering it floor-to-ceiling with wood and nails. I do that to the bedroom door, too, so that anyone who comes in the front door, if they get through, can't get into the bedroom. After putting all the food into the Duat, I climb out the our parents bedroom window and clamber over to Eric and I's bedroom window.

I seal it from the inside, too, before thinking out a long term plan. I decide to stay here for now. My room will be home base, and I can keep going on patrols from here. I can do jobs here and there if I have to, in case the money and food run low. I only have to do it for a week or so, because soon, Eric and I'll meet up again.

We can do the research, run away to the woods if we want, hunt for a living, or until I'm 18, which is old enough to live by myself. I wonder how that'll go with Eric, though. He's a mutant now; there's no way around it. I could get a ranch or something, we could be hunters in a log cabin, anywhere but here. the big city, is, well, not the best place for us to live.

We can resort to stealing if we have to, but only as a very, very last resort. Sure, we're Shadinja, but that doesn't mean we use our abilities to be thieves. I sigh and climb out onto the fire escape. I close the window and climb up to the roof. I pull up my hood look to the stars. I think of my parents again.

I decide to go back to the van, see if I can find anything. Anything, any clues that even suggest that they made it out alive somehow. I run, leap, and roll, going across the rooftops. I reach the place soon after, but can't begin my search. Cops are swarming the place. I can see a reporter down below, and decide to give my thoughts on it.

I go a few buildings over, then climb down and walk over. My hood is pulled up tightly, my face hidden. I approach the reporter, realizing that it's a camera crew. Perfect.

"And were Live, in 3, 2, 1," starts the camera man, before the reporter starts in.

"We are here on the investigation of an explosion, which has panicked the local residents. Police are currently investigating what happened, but nothing has been discovered yet, or if anyone saw this event."

"Ahem." Once I got their attention, I continued. "I saw something."

"Well, young lady, please tell us."

"I was up on a rooftop," I motion vaguely behind me, then continue. "I saw my friends and their parents walking by. A van pulled up next to them, and several masked men threw them into the van. As it began driving off, it exploded!" I throw up my hands in emphasis. After a moment, I continue.

"I saw some people walking around afterwards, but I couldn't tell who. I don't know if they all survived or not. If anyone, it would be my friend and her younger brother. They're tough." I finished. It felt weird, talking about myself in the third person. One of the officers walked up, having caught the end of the conversation.

"Could you please tell me their names, miss?" he asks, pulling out a pad and pencil.

"Gladly, anything to help find them. My friend's name is Liliana Dragonshard, she's about 15, her younger brother, Eric Dragonshard, is 8. I don't know their parents names, though." I finish. The officer nods, finally looking up.

"And what is your name, miss?" he asks. Uh oh. Didn't expect that one.

"Uh..." I get out, stalling for time. He gives me a look.

"Well?" he asks sternly. The camera is getting a close up of my face, or trying to. My hood is casting a shadow, preventing them form seeing it.

"My name is. . .Shadowsong." I answer. The officer gives me a 'no nonsense' look.

"Come on, miss, no gang names." he says sternly. I roll my eyes.

"Mortal minds. So limited in their ways of thinking sometimes. So stubborn. My name is Shadowsong," I turn to face the camera, "Wing of Night Sky, if your watching, it's all clear on my end. Shadowsong, out." I say, then dive into the nearest shadow.

"L'mun." I whisper quickly, and my magic wraps me in shadows, unseen. The officer searches around for me, obviously confused. The reporter tells 'everyone back home', what he thinks has happened. I track the police officer who talked with me back to the station. I watch as he writes the report, doing a little research on my family.

My curiosity satisfied, I climb back to the rooftops. I close my eyes, searching for my little brother's aura. I can just find it, but it is muffled slightly, as if he is not only far away, but low down. Almost as if. . .

"Would he really go into the sewers?" I mutter to myself. Then again, he could be in the subway systems. I shake my head. I head back to my bedroom, deciding to be more on the nocturnal side of things; the moon is beginning to set. Pull out my sewing kit and some dark purple fabric. Working quickly and carefully, I cut and sew and snip and shape.

In the end, I have a dark purple ninja mask, like the ones the mutant turtles have. I also made a mouth cover. It's like a bandanna. I slip it over my mouth and tie it behind me head. All you can see with the mask-hood-bandanna combination is my eyes. I grin as I look at myself in the mirror. In the night, I really will be a shadow.

I changed into pajamas and climbed into bed. The next night, I dressed in my Shadinja outfit. It was really a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. I pulled on a hood-less black coat, then put on some straps. There weapon holders, one band going around my waist and another going over my shoulder.

I slipped my cloak on next and tied on the mask and bandanna. Taking a look in the mirror, I realized just how mysterious I looked. Holding my nunchuks up, I looked like some sort of super hero in an old comic. For added affect, I took a real, stuffed fox tail and clipped it to my belt. I took a peregrine falcon feather clip and put it in my hair.

I had my nunchuks and a small dagger hidden on my belt. I was ready for action. I did my usual rounds, going to certain areas of the city. Places that were prone to robberies, or where robberies had recently taken place. Stuff like that. It was a quiet night. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The moon was just overhead when I saw it.

A manhole cover in an alley shifted and was pushed aside. A green head poked out, before climbing up all the way. It was one of the turtles, Leo. He was soon followed by Raph, Donnie, and Mikey. They began climbing the fire escape on my building. I watched for a moment longer before slinking into the shadows. They discussed where they should scout, when Donnie seemed to be caching on.

"Uh, guys, I think somethings watching us." that cut off the conversation. They began looking directly where I was, or nearly. They were actually staring at a empty spot just to the left of me. Mikey stepped forward, holding his hands up.

"We come in peace." Raph snorted.

"Yeah, Mikey, let's assume it's aliens come to help us fight the Kraang. Do you wanna have a tea party with it?" Raph mockingly asked. Mikey turned to glare at his older brother before turning back.

"Ignore him, the rest of us come in peace." he continues. He stops a three feet away and extends his hand. I huff and edge slowly out of the shadows. Mikey jumps back with a yelp, glancing to where he thought I was.

"Hi, my name is Mikey. And this would be Raph, Donnie, and Leo," he starts, before Raph hits him on the head.

"Shut up, you idiot. Are you trying to expose us?" he hisses under his breath. I grunt, getting their attention back on me.

"So, my brother gave the introductions, so could you please tell us your name?" asked Leo. I grin, but they can't see it.

"Watch the news last night?" I ask, using my 'gruff old man' voice. Leo shrugs, but Donnie nods.

"Yeah, it was about the exploded van, then some girl came. She completely disappeared. Why?" he said. I smirk through my bandanna.

"Well, it depends on what she said." I answer.

"Just spit it out. Who are you and what's your relation to the girl?" snapped Raph.

"She said her name is Shadowsong, did she not? That would be me. How can I help you?" I say, my voice back to normal.

"Uh. . ." Mikey trails off, not really sure what to say.

"So, if you are 'Shadowsong', then who is 'Wing of Night Sky'?" ask Donnie. I shrug.

"Oh, he's my confidant. We used to patrol around until there was an. . .accident. He's off doing his own thing until we meet up again. Pretty easy to find him again."

"Really? how come we never saw you before?" asks Leo. I shrug.

"We saw you, long before you ever saw us. There are huge advantages, I guess, when your a Shadinja." I sigh, picturing Eric's soft fur and silky wings. I pull out of it in time to hear the next question.

"What's a Shadinja?" asks Donnie.

"Shadinja's are 'shadow ninja's'. We use magic and the shadows to our advantages. There are few of us left. I am the only one left in my clan, at least on this side of the continent. There maybe another, but I'm not sure."

"Why don't you join us? We're ninja's, and ninja's stick together, right?" asked Mikey. Raph gave him a whack on the head.

"Sorry. Maybe we'll see eachother again one day. Maybe not. 'Till we meet again." I step back into the shadows, while a hologram-like projection runs and jumps off the edge of the building. The turtles run and look down to see nothing. I scribble a note on a piece of paper and toss it to the wind. I swirled right into Donnie's shell. He grabbed it and started reading it aloud.

"'That was fun. Tell Wing of Night Sky hello if you see him. I know where you live. Not. Later.'" finished Donnie. He tucked it into a pocket on his belt. They left after that, but I felt rather satisfied. They didn't know who I was, nor did they seem to know Eric. Plus, they don't know whether I'm with them or against them. Time to discover their enemies and give them an edge if we ever meet again.

After a moment, I realize that a wisp of Eric's energy was on them. I get a shiver as realize what this could mean. Eric could have gotten away with a just a scuffle, or. . . .they could have captured him. I decide to track them for a ways before heading back.

Fi-Nal-lee! It took me forever to edit this. Please review!