A/N- Hey Guys! So here's chapter 7, I hope you like it :) And I just wanted to say that I LOVED TMNT 'In Dreams' this week! I just hope that Leo's leg is just 'magically' better :/ or if so, he still has a few moments of doubt just because, feels xxx and I NEED Master Splinter back soon and for him to be a little sad but then happy when he sees Leo because Shredder basically told him he killed him :( (just look at Splinter's face when Shredder laughs) BUT, apparently episode 7 is 'Spirit Quest', which is what SPLINTER apparently sends them on according to a CC panel a while back, but who knows? Anyway, musings over; any thoughts on this or this story/chapter/my writing in general, then inbox me. And as always, please review! ENJOY :)
Chapter 7
Venus wasn't sure if she'd heard the woman right.
"'Thank you'?"
"Yes," the woman sobbed, releasing the turtle. "All these years I believed I was one of the last ones left who could control the earth. But now I meet another."
"She don't just control earth." Raph stated, smiling somewhat proudly. "She can make the other elements dance too."
The woman stared at Raph in disbelief before hugging Venus again.
"A four 'Elementer'! Oh how glad I am to have lived to see this day!"
"She's a little dramatic, isn't she?" Mikey muttered under his breath to a very confused Donatello.
The group watched dazed as the woman hugged their friend, tears running down her face. Venus smiled with raised brows, not quite understanding the woman's happiness whilst trying to breath in her vice-like grip. For an old lady she was incredibly strong. As if sensing Venus' struggle the woman lent back, smiling before catching the turtle's slightly confused expression.
"You do not understand my joy?"
"No, I'm afraid not. Surely you must have known that there were other Shinobi's? We are a gigantic clan spanning across the world, although most dwell within Asia. How could you not know?"
The woman's smile faltered, her eyes suddenly full of sympathy.
"My dear, you do not know?"
"What do you mean? What don't I know?"
"Of course I know we are a clan; my father, an earth Shinobi, told me so. But the phrase 'gigantic' may be a little…dramatic."
The atmosphere changed suddenly but Venus remained confused, not picking up on Leo's sharp understanding. The leader caught his father's eye, who too looked a little confused but suddenly nodded solemnly at his son, a grave sorrow filling his gaze. Leo looked at his brothers, their gaze still locked on the old woman as they too sought an answer. Leo shook his head ever so slightly, realising the graveness of the situation but being slightly glad he wasn't the one who had to explain it to Venus. His eyes locked on to his friend, ready to help should the news prove to be too much for her. Although how he would do so remained a mystery to him.
"I am afraid this may be difficult for you to hear." The woman paused, as if preparing herself. "As you know, Shinobis that can control all four elements are quite rare, but now single elementers are disappearing too. There are few of us left, my child. With every Shinobi death our race becomes more extinct."
Silence descended on the group as their eyes trailed back to Venus who sat numb. Her father, a while back, had told her that those who could control four elements were rare, those that achieved quintessence even more so. But she had no idea their entire clan was…endangered.
"There are only the elders, spread far across Asia and perhaps a hundred single element Shinobi's, fire being the most common and earth the most rare. I'm not sure about the rest of the world, but I know that a few nations have just one or two Shinobis to their name." The woman sighed, hating the desolate look forming on the young turtle's face. This was a burden for her, and she was just a little girl in the woman's opinion. "I am sorry my child, but four Elementers are few and far between."
"And Quintessence?" Venus whispered, dreading the answer. The woman shook her head.
"I do not know, maybe five in total? But I have been so isolated for so long, I have become detached from the clan."
"But I don't understand, how has the gift been allowed to die out?"
"How does it get reincarnated?" Leo asked, wanting to truly grasp the severity of the situation. By the developed look of horror on his father's face, he guessed the old rat already had. Venus turned away from the woman.
"It is usually passed down from parents to children unless a child is exposed to the energy of Shinobi magic for an extended amount of time, such as a few years. Of course, then you get special cases."
"Like you?"
"Like me."
"Then, how has this happened?" Mikey queried, seeing the sadness of Venus' face. She really wasn't having a good day.
"The basic vow of the Shinobi clan is to protect villages that are isolated from the jurisdiction and protection the great cities offer." The old woman began. "That is how it began thousands of years ago, and it had been needed for most of that time. But in the last century, industry and general worldwide development have meant that the risks that plagued the land before have either changed or died out. This means that the need for the Shinobi clan is in turn dying out as the protection we offer is now old fashioned and out dated. Less and less are utilizing their skill to a decent amount due to modern warfare and technology."
"Yeah, but surely if you got the gift, you got it." Raph added. "You don't get people who can only make a vine go all crazy. They have the skill to control an entire tree!"
"Raphael, if one does not practice ninjitsu after learning the skills when they are young, eventually their skills begin to fade, and therefore their children will not be able to learn, since they do not have a master to teach them." Master Splinter looked over his children, not reprimanding them but simply reminding them of the importance of continuing tradition. The old woman nodded.
"It is much the same with the Shinobi clan. If one has no need to fight, or chooses not to, despite being granted the skill to do so, then those skills, over time, will fade."
"I get it," Donny suddenly announced, catching everyone's attention. "It's like DNA. The Shinobi 'gene' will become weaker, meaning the next generation will not share the same amount of power as their parents. Their skills won't be as great, which weakens the gene even more until eventually it fades out completely."
Understanding swept over the group, allowing them to finally comprehend the severity of the situation: Venus was one of few Shinobi's left. The complexity of inheritance was a subject that she had never voiced either as it was too awkward and…well, daunting. She looked to the ground, fear spiking through her even as the old woman pushed her chin back up, smiling sadly at her wide eyes.
"Ah my child. I know that this is hard for you to hear, but the Shinobi clan is strong. We may yet pull through this dip in numbers. And I sense strength within you: You use your skills every day, to fight and defend or simply to be at one with nature. This in turn makes your 'gene' strong, ensuring your future little ones will inherit your gift."
Venus' eyes widened at the comment as the guys, who were drinking more tea, suddenly coughed and spluttered at the statement. She could feel her cheeks warming at the thought and her head rushing at a realisation: Not only was it now her duty to continue the Shinobi legacy, but, she suddenly thought, she was also the only known being that could continue her kin's line. She looked to the guys who were either fidgeting or looking down at the ground in embarrassment, understanding the pressure she was under, being the only female of their kind. But, judging by their reaction, she knew none of them were willing to expand their species just yet.
She allowed herself a small smile at the ridiculousness of the situation that biology created. But she had plenty of time to think things over, thankfully. She turned to see Master Splinter chuckling quietly in the chair, causing the woman to frown.
"We are just 18." Venus whispered in Chinese, causing the woman to nod and chuckle herself. She then clapped her hands and rose to her feet, wanting to be rid of the awkward tension in the air.
"Well my friends, I must ask, how on earth did you get here?"
Leo took up the role of story teller, relaying how they had travelled from New York to Shanghai on a cargo ship before riding the speed boat up river. The tale didn't take long but the woman nodded her head avidly all the same. She also noticed how drawn Leo looked; the fact he had been poisoned had been mentioned in the story and she realised how taxing the journey must have been for the young turtle. He looked exhausted.
"Well then, you must rest. You have had a long and trialling day. Please, all of you, make yourselves comfortable in my home. I cannot offer you many blankets but the fire will burn a little all night."
"We thank you for your hospitality, Madam, but we cannot burden you with our presence. We have enough blankets and supplies to suffice the night outside." Splinter objected, but the woman was having none of it.
"Nonsense. You will freeze to death outside and the forest is not safe at night. You shall stay here." The woman immediately rushed over to the door and locked it, standing before it with arms crossed. Master Splinter sighed in defeat.
The group began making up small beds for themselves, Leo placing himself nearest the door. Venus insisted on going next, rolling her eyes at their leader's objections.
"I know this place better than all of you, and therefore its enemies. Which, by the way, don't exist. It only makes sense for me to sleep here."
Leo sighed, not wanting to put Venus in any danger but not wanting to argue either; he would never admit it but he was exhausted, the walk, sunshine and fresh air gradually purging his system rather than cleansing it. Raph went next to Venus, Donny and Mikey ending the line next to the hearth. Splinter stayed in the chair at his son's insistence whilst the woman climbed into bed, blowing out the candles and leaving the moon to provide light in the room. The group settled down to sleep when a rumbling noise shook the air. Everyone shot up, staring at its source.
"What?" Mikey wined, rubbing his stomach. "I'm hungry! I haven't eaten in like…four hours!"
"I meant to find us something but I got a little…distracted." Venus admitted guiltily. She couldn't even think about eating after the news she'd received tonight.
"There are some stale moon cakes in that little cupboard," the woman offered, pointing towards a little side unit behind Master Splinter. "They are a few days old but will still be edible."
Mikey eagerly crawled across the floor and opened the cupboard, finding a small box containing five, palm sized, round cakes. He grabbed the box and eagerly bit into one whilst getting back under the covers. It was delicious! He went to take another when there was a cough from Donatello. Mikey turned to find everyone watching him.
"Oh, sorry." He apologised, handing the box around. Donny and Raph took one but Master Splinter hesitated, realising there were two left between three.
"It's okay, I'm not hungry." Venus insisted, lying back down to sleep. Leo shrugged at his father and the two tucked into the last cakes. Appreciative chewing filled the room, the cakes becoming crumbs in a matter of seconds.
"These are great! Hey Venus, how come you never make these back at home?" Donny asked but was met with silence. Leo looked down and saw that Venus' eyes were shut with sleep, pressing his fingers to his lips to quieten his brothers. They smiled and in turn curled up to turn in for the night.
"I'm still hungry."
"Can it Mikey."
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Raph awoke with a start, not sure why his eyes snapped open as he sat up. The room was still dark, suggesting they'd only been asleep for a couple hours. He frowned before closing his eyes again when he heard a small sound. He strained his ears and heard it again, a cross between a sniff and a whimper. He turned his head to the right and found Venus still lying next to him, only she wasn't asleep. Her body was tense, as if she was trying to keep still. She's crying he realised, and panicked. He didn't do well with crying people. The news they'd received tonight proved Venus' life was a lot more complicated than any of them had initially thought. Even Venus hadn't realised the pressures she was under. And Raph suddenly realised he wasn't ready to share them with her. He wasn't ready for that kind of responsibility. He wanted to help her, support her, but didn't want to be the 'main' source as he knew he wasn't the most 'thoughtful' person. And he didn't know when he would be ready to be. But right now, he had to focus on her emotional state right now; what she was currently feeling.
Splinter would probably tell Venus to meditate. He looked at his brothers, wondering what they would do. Mikey would probably try and comfort her with food; Don no doubt would want to distract her with a movie or something. He looked at Leo and realised that he was probably awake too, having heard the noise due to being such a light sleeper, but was leaving her to it. He always gave them space when they were in inner turmoil, and it was usually successful, allowing them time before attempting to discuss what was upsetting them. But Raph had a feeling Venus needed comfort now, or else she would never sleep, and he at least knew that sleep was often the best cure for a turbulent mind. It dawned on him how alone she must feel, for multiple reasons. He racked his brain for things to say but didn't want to wake his family or force Venus into discussing clearly a sensitive subject. Then an idea struck him.
He laid back down, this time facing Venus' back and gently placed an arm round her middle. She became silent at his touch, making Raph worry that he had overstepped the mark, before sniffing again. Her whimpering was quieter but she shuffled slightly, creeping closer to Raph and fully into his embrace until her shell bumped into his plastron. He lay straight while Venus curled up into a tighter ball, her breathing slowing a little as her crying became silent once more.
The embrace didn't feel awkward as he had expected it to. It felt comfortable, but in a familiar way rather than in a loving sense. Venus didn't need words; all she needed was someone to show her she was not alone. And Raph's attempted hug did just that.
