Well I'm back. I would apologize for the long lapse of time where I didn't write anything, but I've had a lot going on and a lot on my mind. However, it's due to your reviews that I came back at all, really. If you enjoy the story, let me know or hassle me...I always feel guilty when people reveiw and it's been forever since I've updated, haha.

Good job, Hipprincess, you remembered the fortune cookie. I will not leave you dissatisfied :D

And to you all who are wondering about the romance, morning sun, for instance...I think I have you right where I want you. Just sit back and watch the show (...um...read it, I mean)

Disclaimer: blah blah blah


The mystical voice of Master Splinter had never captivated me more. Of course, never before had I so hungered for this particular information. Perhaps he was wise after all. Without thinking I gripped the sides of the chair I was sitting on, not bothering to brush a curtain of curls back to see better.

"Does this have to do with the Foot?" April cocked her head, merely looking curious yet.

Splinter shook his head, "If my assumptions are correct, we are dealing with a whole new people."

Tension hung thick in the air.

"And so what's the big deal?" Casey seemed to take notice of the stifled atmosphere. The Turtles had more-or-less locked up, listening to their sensei. Even Mikey was staring off into space, mesmerized by one patch of carpet. "What happened?"

"We're not exactly sure, not yet," Leo replied, his eyes flickered at me, then back.

There was a pause, a wait. Splinter spoke.

"I shall start from the beginning:

Many, many years ago, so long ago that most of us just assume they were a fairytale, there dwelt a secret race. They called themselves the 'Friends', the keepers and protectors of the earth, yet the very essence of them smelt foul.

They were fiercely beautiful creatures, with soft skin and warm…no, hot temperature. They were but a small race, gathered in small, close-knit communities. Most of the time they lived underground, or in the wild where they seldom would be bothered. It all changed when an old leader of the Foot, dating back hundreds of years, discovered them.

He was on a trip with his closest advisors and companions through the Amazon jungle. It is a common place for the ninja to connect with nature and to truly let the art of ninjitsu flow. One night while walking, he stumbled upon their people. At first he dismissed them to be one of the native tribes in South America, often brutal…but uncivilized and mostly harmless to him.

Yet the speech of them drew him in, unlike any language he had heard before. Their appearances seemed strange, like they were hiding something underneath…he followed them.

Later, the master ninja, named Taichi, went back to his camp. He described to his comrades all about what he had heard. Though the tribe looked innocent enough, he could not deny the chilling aura they gave off. No natives had ever breathed air so foul. Never before had the rainforest ever been so cold. The temperature was far below normal and the heat they radiated was far above normal.

So they all went back together, Taichi leading them right to where he had seen the natives reside.

Their campsite was gone. Every sign of human activity had vanished. They search 'round the place where Taichi swore he had seen them. Normal things, he had said, like little children running around with toys made out of vines and sticks, women working with their hands, caring for children, jabbering, and men with their spears and scantily clad muscular bodies. All the while he insisted they had been the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen.
Taichi's companions were beginning to doubt him, which was a rare thing…Taichi was never a liar.

That evening while Taichi was washing himself by the river, they schemed about how they could get him back home. They figured something had gotten to him in the rainforest, that perhaps he was sick.
When he returned, Taichi noticed his friends' stiff countenances. He was just about to ask them what the matter was when they were ambushed."

Master Splinter took a small pause, though everyone's focus was still centered on him.

"Deep underground they were led, blindfolded and tied up. The stories and tales tell of many things that supposedly happened down there in The Enemy's hold, but naming them all would take far too long and put far too many falsehoods in your minds. The fact remained that the creatures were not human, only imitating the life they had seen from humans. Where they came from or what they were was never found out.

Some stories say that after hearing Taichi's friends talk to each other, they picked up their speech and spoke to them. They promised friendly intentions to Taichi and his companions, and kept on wanting to cut a deal with him.

We do not know what Taichi said to them, but he emerged alive and well with all of his friends. They came back to Japan and didn't tell anyone, until Taichi mysteriously died a year later. That is the main story."

I was flooded with disappointment when he stopped. I sat up, watching the others snapping out of the reverie. I could see other expressions matching mine. Leo's brow was furrowed and his eyes were fixed on the carpet.

Questions swarmed in my mind, but Donatello beat me to it.

"Do you think these beings were responsible for Taichi's death?"

"His companions were almost positive of it, my son," Master Splinter replied softly, "They lived the rest of their lives paranoid, but they lived."

"Did they ever come in contact with the species again?" Leo asked.

"There are rumors of similar meetings, all having to do with the Foot…but no others. We do not know for sure whether this is the same thing we are dealing with now. Yet, the signs seem to point to it."

"Why did you call them 'Friends' at first, and then later: "The Enemy"?" I asked next.

"They considered themselves the friends of the earth; that was their name for themselves. We called them 'The Enemy' because they were. In all tales, members of the Foot and humans involved experienced horror and distress when being exposed to them…they seem to wish us ill."

I was suddenly reminded of the poor victims working at the Starbucks, my hands gripped the side of the seat. I hadn't thought those weird people frightening though…

"And whenever they moved into an area, the temperature would steadily drop. There is a rumor that they take colossal amounts of heat in from their environment, that's what makes them so warm. And…those who are fluent in ninjitsu, connected to the world around them…notice their presence. It is a disturbing aura that causes discord and stress within a family."

I knew he was relating these things to the events now occurring. I glanced out of the corner of my eye towards the Turtles. Raph wasn't looking at anyone or anything in particular, his face a scowl. Leo and Don both looked a little guilty, and Mikey was still emotionless.

There was a long silence. No one spoke for a while, but questions were still high.

"So you think they're back." April's clear voice cut the silence. It wasn't a question. "They are here, in the city."

"I have been watching and listening for months, my dear." Splinter spoke softly and slowly. "I am almost certain it is them."

"I mean, how do we really know if they are a threat? It could be all one misunderstanding," April continued.

"Um, hullo? Maybe the fact they attacked us and the humans!" Raph folded his arms.

"Hold, my son. It is a good question," Splinter nodded with approval to April. "We do not know what their intent is…however, I know that in all the stories they've only come in close contact with human life for a purpose. It is my belief they generally prefer to be alone."

"Something in their behavior…could they want something…or someone?" Leonardo's careful voice caused me to turn and look at him. Something about his expression frightened me, his tone, his words. My heart pounded so hard it nearly hurt, I was afraid they could all hear it. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked away.

"Hold on a 'sec," Casey spoke when no one answered Leo's question right away. "I thought you guys describe these things as ugly, hideous critters. How come they're suddenly beautiful now, too?"

I was both grateful for the subject change, and that Casey had noticed something of interest.

"I am glad you noticed that," Splinter smiled sagely. To my surprise, he turned to me. "What did you see when you gazed upon attackers at the coffee shop?"

I felt many pairs of eyes on me now, I thought of my words before I spoke them. "They were very good looking." I admitted, the Turtles each looked a little repulsed. "But, what about the cashiers? The two girls working there were terrified at the sight of them. I wasn't." I tried to keep my voice even, talking about the two women who had passed away wasn't easy.

"Humans find them very attractive when they use their magic disguise themselves. However, it is my belief that somehow, something that night caused them to abandon their cover and that's why those poor girls saw the true, horrific beauty."

There was a long pause.

"You, on the other hand, Alice, are a mystery." They were all looking at me, I wished I could disappear.

"Because you seemed quite coherent for someone in that situation, they didn't seem to affect you." He stared at me for one long moment, almost as if by doing so he could unravel the workings of my mind. I didn't like it. I tried very hard to look confident and keep eye-contact.

Then abruptly he turned and answered Casey's question.

"As for my sons and I, we have all been affected in paranormal ways. We are not the same as you all are. I am not certain yet why we are so sensitive to these creatures, just the way I do not know why Alice is not. My intuition has grown sharp over the years, and it does not look kindly upon these beautiful, human-imitators. They do not feel right." The rat sensei sighed, leaving us all to ponder it for a moment, myself wondering who the real freak here was. Them or me?

"Now Leonardo, I think we must discuss what happened tonight. This could be pivotal," he nodded over to the lead Turtle.

I rubbed my fingers together. I knew Leonardo suspected me, I wondered what the others thought. I heard the story from their lips again, about the two men and the money, and the gunsire. They did not exclude the feeling the whole ordeal gave them.

"Sounds pretty normal to me," Casey shrugged, leaning back. "How do you know you're not blowing it out of proportion?"

"Why don't we ask the runt?" Raph turned his gaze on me. I flushed a little at the name, not sure if it was out of nervousness or anger.

"We're worried about you, Al," Mikey said, a bit softer than usual. "We can tell something happened to you."

"Even my evaluations of the situation point to it being a diversion, so someone or something could get to her," Don put in.

Leo stood up. "This is what I've been so impatient about. The look on your face spelled out shock for us." He cut immediately to the chase, his large brown eyes examining me. "Did you see anything on the roof, Alice?"

He might have been able to pass off this as caring and gentle, but his tone was cold and intimidated me.
Everyone's attention was focused on me, I didn't know why it was so hard for me to speak the truth. After all, what would they do to me? Nothing, most likely. They just wanted to help, didn't they?

"Alice," Master Splinter gave me a gentle, but penetrating look. "Did you see anything my sons didn't?"

Then again, how much did I know these people? What good would it do to mention the two-second long meeting? Would Leo be convinced that these things wanted me and use me as bait? Or become a maniac stalker? As far as I was concerned, it was terrifying and I didn't want to have anything to do with it in the future.

"Yeah, okay…" I glanced at the ground, my cold fingers locking and unlocking around each other. "I have to admit, when I heard sounds of the battle coming from the building…I tried to get closer and…"

Leo was leaning in, possibly closer than he had been before. I couldn't understand what he wanted so badly, but I had a strong desire to give him the opposite. "…I nearly fell off," I ended lamely.

I felt the blush creeping on my face, and it was appropriate. "That's all," I muttered. "I was really nervous for you guys, and felt stupid for almost killing myself. I'm sorry."

I watched for reactions. Casey and April exhaled at the same time.
Mikey looked stressed but yet almost relieved, "Watch what you're doing dudette! Maybe next time we should just leave you home!"
"Well that settles it," Raphael immediately stood up to scrape up some leftovers in the kitchen.

To my astonishment, everyone dismissed it. I got one or two lectures, and overall the feeling was relief. Why not? Right? I mean it wasn't as if I had an encounter with one of those nightmarish, unnamed beings right? My thoughts were sarcastic and bitter, and I had a bad taste on my tongue.

Leonardo watched me for the rest of the night, even when he thought I wasn't looking. He was suspicious. I was liking him less and less, and yet I could not stop wondering what he thought of me or...why I even cared so much. It bothered me.

Master Splinter did not ask me any questions, but after my story, gazed at me for a while too.

There was empty scheming and talking for the rest of the night. Basically for everyone to keep their eyes open, there was going to be some research done. I was growing ever more tired, and I still felt on edge…nervous. Their conversations held no more informational value to me, I phased out…wishing to go home.

And...eventually:

"Alice, are you prepared to leave?" Donatello was kind, and his smiling face gave me some comfort. I came back to earth, blinking back into focus.

"Yes, please," the relief showed on my face, I'm sure. "...but if it's okay with you guys, I think I'm just going to take a taxi home."

"Not game for the scaarrry rooftops, eh?" Raph demanded, smirking.

"Not tonight," I said with a weak smile. If they thought I was terrified of heights, then let it be so. It was the alternative to being found out. "I'd rather feel the ground under my feet."

"Heys, I'll go with you," Mikey offered right away.

"You don't have a disguise, Mike," Leo rolled his eyes a little, crossing his arms.

"Listen, I'll be fine. I'm a grown girl y'know," I insisted with a grin.

"Thanks for coming to visit," April smiled at me, her tone very welcoming. I could also tell she was helping me close the argument.
"Thanks for having me!" I replied quickly, easy to catch on.

"Fine, let's get going then. Sensei has already gone," Leo mentioned, heading for the window. Sure enough, the rat-man had disappeared. I was surprised that that particular Turtle-man was so ready to leave.

It was just a feeling, but I still sensed that he had a problem he wanted to discuss with me. Of course, that was why I was going for the taxi plan, I did not want to be interrogated. I felt relief at his sudden disinterest.

I stood up as everyone was saying goodnight, stretching a little. As I did so, a fluttering movement caught my eye. I glanced down to see a small piece of paper had been on my lap the entire time. I hadn't noticed it.
Oh yeah, the fortune cookie, duh. I bent down and picked it up. When I straightened up, the Turtles were lined up by the window, ready to leave.

"Good night Alice, be careful on the streets," Donny admonished. The others bid goodnight too, Raph even worked up a grunt for me. I smiled and nodded, saying farewell and assuring them all I had had a good evening.

Of course, the evening had not been good…but it had been informative. I would have much to ponder when I got home.

April walked me down to the street, and we small talked. She was a reporter, which was pretty cool. This led me to ask several questions, which she answered patiently. It was easy for my distracted mind to think up a few normal questions, I hope she didn't see right through my guise. If so, April probably thought I was a nutcase.

"You should come back to visit sometime," she paused at the door. I wrapped my coat tighter around myself, bracing against the chilly wind.

"Thank you, it was so nice meeting you." I smiled genuinely, "Ha, thanks for the help earlier. I had a feeling they would give me a hard time about walking alone."

"Well who can blame them? If all this is true, you are associated with us…you could be in danger, too." Her fingers curled around the doorknob, tone turning serious. I didn't want her to catch a cold in her T-shirt, I had to end the conversation and go.
Yet I realized that despite this night, she sounded skeptical of what was going on. If this is all true? Nothing came out in my momentary cloud of thought. She hastened to continue.

"But you're welcome, of course. I completely understand."

"Thanks," I grinned, coming to very quickly...and feeling like a complete retard again. "Well I won't leave you standing in the cold. Good night!"

"'Night!"

I turned, a quiet thump telling me that April had closed the door and retreated to her warm apartment. I jerked my hands out of their pockets, going to throw a hood over my head when I remembered the slip of paper in my fist. I unfolded it.

Lit by the dim city street lights and flashing signs, I read the fortune impatiently.
I paused, rereading it as a slow dawning came upon me.
A sudden gust of wind caught me, and unexpectedly swept the paper away. I glanced at my empty hands, an eerie feeling sweeping over me, but I shrugged it off and walked on. Silly fortune papers, I thought.

Yet… the fortune replayed itself over and over in my head:

"Two pathways are before you. The time to choose which path you will take is coming to an end. You cannot go back."