Still un-beta'ed version. A better one will be up after my beta had time but it has been a while so I wanted to post something.
.~,~.
Author's note, Just skip the bold part if you are not interested.
First off,
I am so so so sorry. I honestly don't have a good reason, except personal life reasons, for the long wait. I don't want to make it sound like an excuse. And No. I will not give up on this story. I am sticking with it and writing it down.
All in all. Sorry. I try my best and hope that is enough. Sometimes motivation is just hard to find too and well, making choices with my time you know.
Anyway.
I try my best and that is all I can do.
(Also, all facts on Ligers that I use here are not correct. Normally crossbreeds have a lot of health problems and that is why they don't appear in the wild. For the sake of the story Klunk will stay a Liger and stay health (be that rare one that the genes do work out) but that is because I don't want to switch it back to tiger and I don't want Klunk to die. (and I did read on the fact that they grow like crazy so that is true but I will make it a more health progress for Klunk's sake))
Also~ OC's alarm. It was a matter of time before I run out of people I could think off… but they are needed for now. But honestly just for this and maybe the next chapter. So no worried about them having mayor roles :D
.~,~.
Mikey awake by the sounds of soft paws hit the plants beneath the tree he was laying in. The turtle opened his eyes and looked down at the Liger. Klunk stared up from her sitting place, a dead lizard between her paws. Mikey sat up and smiled at his pet.
"I take you were hungry?" Mikey smiles as Klunk got comfortable and started to eat. Mikey just shook his head and looked around.
They had been following the river for a long time now and were just traveling though the giant forest, they had long ago left the smaller villages behind and just lived off what they found.
The young turtle wasn't sure what to do with himself now though. His plan had been to go south to get close to the equator. From there he wouldn't have to worry about the winter and he would disappear into the rainforest to hide from humans.
He was successful and here he was.
Mikey counted the time in his head. He had been away since early summer. He had been with Kala and her brothers in winter and most of spring. He was with Angel in late spring. He had arrived in the amazon at summer. Time had passed and he figured he was in his second autumn now.
A full year he had been away. The more he thought about it the more he realised he could no longer count the time with the seasons now. Not as long as he lived in the amazon. He would have no idea at how long he had been away from room.
Mikey sat there frowning as he looked up at the leaf roof the trees gave. He hadn't planned on when he would go home. Or even if he would go home.
Klunk seemed to feel her owner's worry and looked up at where the turtle was hidden and gave a questioning meow. Blue eyes looked back down and smiled.
"It is okay girl. Nothing wrong, just thinking" Mikey spoke softly.
Klunk stared for a bit longer before turning back to her lunch.
Mikey watched his cat eat her lunch. Klunk had grown a lot in the past half year and was now much bigger. Mikey had read some books back on the cruise on tigers and lions but hadn't had enough time to look for more. Mikey had learned that tigers were the bigger ones of the two and had concentrated on that. He read that tigers grow a lot in the first two years of their lives but Mikey was sure that Klunk was growing quicker than that.
The young turtle was worried. Didn't crossbreeds have a lot of health issues? Klunk seemed fine and healthy. She ate alright and Mikey made sure to give her enough time to run around and practise just in case. Still, she was nearing the length of 5 feet and that was way faster than anything he had read.
Mikey carefully climbed out of the tree and leaned against it next to his cat.
Klunk looks up confused at the other.
"We should probably find a more permanent place to stay… this is just aimless wandering and I know you would like a place to call your own." Mikey spoke to Klunk as he thought out loud. Klunk would like to have her own territory and he would like a place where he could just relax and train in peace.
Klunk licked her lips as she finished up the lizard.
Mikey grinned "Ready to keep going?" Klunk nuzzles the turtle before standing up and starting walking. Mikey followed after his pet, content to let her lead the way for now.
Michelangelo stared up at the trees as he followed the big cat without a sound. The two had long ago perfected the art of traveling in silence without alerting anyone around them. Klunk could hide anywhere and Mikey's skin colour helped hiding between the green coloured leafs of plants around them.
The jungle had been protecting the turtle in every way the turtle had planned. The colouring was just right. The trees kept the sun from shining directly on him. The animals kept humans away.
Mikey looked away from the trees and looked back at the Liger in front of him. Klunk had seemed to have caught an interesting scent and had set off to follow it. The two walked in silence until they heard the sounds of fighting.
Mikey frowned before speaking softly "Klunk." Klunk turned back to look at her turtle. The second Mikey had her attention he made the signal for her to follow him. Klunk moved away from the front and moved behind the turtle.
Mikey quickly jumped into a tree and walked towards the sound knowing that Klunk will now stay back until he gives a new signal.
The scene the young hero found was that of one of struggle. It seemed like a young girl was being bothered by a group of people. Mikey quickly noticed the very different style in clothing between the girl and the people around her. The girl was dressed in something that he could only describe as tribal clothes, yellow of colour which stood out against her darker skin. The people around her were wearing more modern clothes which screamed that they had only come here with a mission.
Mikey glared as he looked around. The group counted four people and one person to the side whom most likely acted as the lookout. If he was going to do anything he would need to take that person out first, make sure they didn't call in for backup.
The ninja could use his bow and arrow but he would prefer not to kill them unless needed, and a stray shot could harm the girl so that was out of the question.
Blue eyes turned back to the group that had backed the scared girl against a tree. Next up. Getting the girl out of harm's way. Mikey looked at Klunk and quickly went over the commands he could give that he was sure of that would be understood. If he could just get Klunk to scare the group and then move in front of the girl…
Mikey nodded to himself, that could work. The turtle turned to look at his liger and saw that Klunk was already waiting for orders. Mikey quickly signed the commands for 'wait', after that a point to the group with the signal for 'scare/distract' and after that to the little girl and the sign for 'protect'.
Klunk got into position where she could see everything but her eyes stayed on her turtle. Waiting for the signal to start with her missions.
Mikey quickly jumped to the next tree and moved until he was right above the man on the lookout. He looked Klunk right in the eyes and gave his last signal for 'go'.
The liger walked out of the bushes growling loudly. Everyone turned to the noise and the girl seemed to stare in shock as she held her hands together in a pray and start to mutter in her own language.
Now Mikey noticed the small bracelets that held the pictures of what seemed to be large cats. Mikey grinned to himself. Good, she will most likely stay still and believe that the cat had heard her cries for help. Mikey looked away from the scene and dropped down on the man below. A hit right by his neck and shoulder muscles knocked him out cold.
One down, four to go.
Mikey turned to the scene before him and smiled. Klunk had done just as he had planned. She had scared the group away from the girl and had moved to stand before her to guard her.
The turtle quickly spotted a large knife and picked it up just in case. Hopefully he would be quick enough but he wasn't taking any changes. With that in mind he sprinted to the group, focussing completely on his mission.
Mikey reached the group and took the first one out with a quick hit just like he had done with the lookout. The others in the group had seen something move out of the corner of their eyes and turned to investigate.
The ninja having expected this dropped to the ground and rolled out of the sight quickly. He jumped back up and planted a kick straight in number two's side and while the man was unbalance he hit the man by the neck.
Number two went down.
The last two moved to turn again but Mikey didn't let them. He jumped and kicked the two right on the breastbone. Both of the man were knocked backwards while the ninja back flipped. Mikey landed and sprinted forwards and hit pressure points in both the men's necks and both went to sleep.
Mikey grinned to himself. And that were number three and four. Together with the lookout they were all down now.
The ninja turned to Klunk and gave the signal to make her come back while speaking "Good job girl. Great work" Klunk walked over to her turtle to get her pets for a job well done.
The turtle petted the liger as he turned to look at the girl. The girl was watching them with something that looked like a combination of 'wonder' and strangely enough 'recognition'.
Mikey gave a small smile and spoke softly "You okay there? They didn't hurt you right?" Before Mikey could wonder what to do the girl just jumped up and spoke with glee. Mikey couldn't even begin to decipher it sadly as it was spoken in her native tongue.
The girl seemed unhindered and run over to them and took Mikey's hand without any fear and started to tug him along repeating the same few sounds which Mikey assumed were words.
Well, Mikey had to admit that was the best reaction he had gotten so far on his appearing's. Maybe having Klunk around helped with that even if the turtle doubted that having a big cat did anything good for him when it came to not looking weird or scary.
.~,~.
The girl kept pulling the mutant after her while talking up a storm, still sounding happy and excited. Mikey let himself be pulled along as he kept an eye on Klunk. Klunk seemed relaxed as she followed along.
Mikey didn't worry too much. The girl was hardly eight from what he could guess and Klunk seemed really relaxed with her.
The tree walked through the forest before entering a small clearing. The girl yelled and waved happily to people who were in the clearing collecting some type of reed. The people in the clearing looked up and seemed to stare in shock. Mikey prepared for the screaming but heard nothing. He looked over at the people and they seemed to be talking with each other. Now that Mikey took time to really look did it seem like the people were mostly pointing and looking at Klunk.
The turtle looked back at Klunk and thought it over. Ligers didn't appear in the wild- Did lions and tigers even life in South America?
People were following them now and Mikey felt slightly uncomfortable with so many people following and watching them. Klunk seemed to notice Mikey's discomfort and moved closer to her owner and growled slightly at the people getting close. The men and women seemed to understand that they had gotten to close and moved away to give the turtle and liger some more room.
Klunk looked proud once the humans backed up and nudged Mikey's hand for her reward. Mikey smiled and pet the large cat between her ears and by her neck.
The group walked for a bit though more thick forest before arriving at an tribal camp. The people there were dressed in the same style clothing as the girl had been wearing with the same yellow colour. People stopped and stared as they walked by. The girl seemed happy as she shouted the same few words over and over again. Clearly trying to get someone's attention.
Everyone grew quiet at the same time as the girl stopped repeating the same words. Mikey looked where the girl was looking and spotted an old man dressed in yellow and red by the biggest hut. The man walked over to the group and everyone backed up to a respective distance.
The old man stopped by the girl and held her head between his hands. He stared at her as he spoke a few words. The girl smiled and hugged the old man before speaking in a quick matter.
The old man focused completely on the young girl as she told her story. After a while the man nodded and turned to Mikey. Milky eyes stared in baby blue and Mikey was hit with the sensation that reminded him of his own father, with appearance this man may not look like much but he has a great strength with him.
The turtle gulped slightly and quickly signalled Klunk to stay close. Klunk moved closer and leaned against Mikey's side.
The old man watched the exchange before speaking some words in a clear voice. The tribe-members snapped out of their staring and continued with whatever they had been doing before. The girl smiled up at Mikey before running off.
The man looked Mikey in the eyes and spoke a few words before turning and walking towards the giant hut. After a few steps the man stopped and turned back to look at Mikey and repeated the same few words again.
"You want me to follow you?" Michelangelo looked unsure but started to follow the elder with his cat close by.
They walked straight to and into the hut. The elder pointed at a few furs that covered the ground and the ninja took that as his clue to sit down. Klunk walked around the hut sniffing at everything.
The old man sat across from Mikey and seemed to stare in the younger ones' soul as the milky eyes stared at into the turtle's.
The elder spoke a question.
Mikey smiled sheepish "Sorry dude, can't understand a word you say."
The elder man seemed to understand what the turtle was saying and stood back up to look though a few of the weird items that covered the small shelves.
While the man was busy Mikey took time to look around the hut. The hut was made of some kind of leather and made a form of a big hexagon. By one wall was what looked like a straw-bed with another fur covering it. The ninja was seated by some kind of table made of dark wood which was in the middle of the room.
Along the sides of the walls there were shelves made covered with different jars and cups filled with something. Klunk had made herself comfortable by the door.
The turtle heard the man walk over again and looked back at the human. The man had some small jar with some kind of sand in it. Mikey was about to ask what it was when the man emptied the jar over the turtle's head.
Mikey jumped up and tried to get it off.
"What was that for?!" Mikey spoke as he tried to get the weird dust like sand off "What did I do to deserve that?"
An amused voice answered him "I just thought that this would make speaking with each other easier."
Mikey froze and looked back at the old man. The man was smiling as he filled two cups with some kind of drink.
"Please do sit down, I am too old to stand for a long time" The man continued calmly as he pushed the cup over "Have some honey tea. It is my favourite."
Mikey still looked confused but sat down either way, the other man reminding him to much of his father to ever say no.
"How come I can suddenly understand you?" the ninja felt the sand with his three fingers. The structure was different than anything he had seen until now.
The man chuckled "It is something I have found in the temple of the Sun, and have been giving the opportunity to study it by the Goddess." The man took a sip from his tea.
Mikey followed the man's lead and smiled slightly. The tea was tasty.
They sat in silence, both just taking a moment to enjoy the tea.
Mikey looked at the old man "My name is Mikey, short for Michelangelo." The man looked over his cup at the young turtle "I figured you would like to know… or not… just easier to make conversation and well.. yeah" Mikey quickly returned to drinking the tea.
The ninja heard the old man set his cup down "I have given up my name when I became the village elder and an follower of the Sun goddess."
Mikey frowned as he looked up at the elder "What will I call you then? Just Elder? Old man sounds not respectful but that is all I can think off." Mikey would have continued talking but stopped as he heard the man chuckle.
"Both names are fine to me. Everyone knows me as Elder. And the young ones tend to call me old man as well" The Elder gave a gentle smile.
Mikey returned the smile at once before drinking what was left of his tea.
"It is curious."
Mikey looked back at the man after having put the cup down.
The Elder was looking at the young ninja with his own blue eyes. Only now the artist noticed the slightly silver colouring around the edges of the eyes. Both in marking on the eyelids as in the eye white itself.
The elder continued "I may not know all there is but I know enough about outsiders to know they do not like what is different." The man paused as he seemed to think over how to word the next part "You are also an outsider but different from the ones we have seen so far. Never have I heard of a person like you. I can only imagine how others would have reacted towards you. Someone so different."
The turtle stared at the old man but the man wasn't done.
"Yet here you are. In a stranger's house after having saved another stranger from a faith. All with the risk of being hunted by the same people who you had risked getting hurt for, just to help." The man was looking the ninja straight in the eyes "Some who say you would have to be an idiot. But I will admit it makes me curious why you would still risk it."
Mikey answered without thinking "It is the right thing to do… I was there. I could help and so I did."
The Elder smiled and nodded "You did. But you didn't need to follow her back when she pulled you with her. You didn't need follow me inside here. Yet you did."
The young turtle grew silent. Why had he?
"It could have been dangerous. You could have been hurt. Why did you trust a stranger?" the Elder waited for an answer.
Mikey thought back and realised just why he had been so riskless when he has seen the Elder and decided to just say it "You reminded me of my father. The way you held yourself is the same... like you have the same aura. And no-one who was like my father in that way would hurt someone…" at the end Mikey had to look away, now he had said it out loud it sounded stupid.
The elder leaned back "You have a father?"
Mikey nodded and added that he also had three brothers.
"They must miss you." Was the only thing the man said after. No questions about whether or not they had been the same as him. Not a thing about why he was there or where he came from. Just that his family must miss him.
Mikey shrugged "All I know is that I miss them…"
The Elder refilled their cups with some more tea and the silence returned as they drink it.
.~,~.
It was the Elder that broke the silence with a question "What is your next step?"
Mikey looked up from petting Klunk and looked back at the Elder that was still seated on the spot he had sat down a while ago.
The Elder explained his question "You must have come here for a reason. Whatever it may be. I just wonder where you will go from now."
Mikey look at the, now cold, liquid in the cup next to him. "I am not sure… My end goal had been the Amazon river. I just followed it after that. Now I am just looking for a place where I can find enough food for Klunk and myself and just rest and train." Mikey petted the Liger next to him as reflex.
"If you wish to remain we have space." The Elder offered.
Mikey shook his head "I can't accept that. I mean what can I do to help. I would just take space and-"
"You have saved the life of one of my people." The Elder countered.
Mikey grew silent before continuing "Okay. But I didn't expect anything in return. I helped because it was the right thing to do." The next part he spoke more quiet "I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable."
The Elder's smile was gentle "I believe that little T'yala would be hurt if you left."
"Who?" The younger one asked confused.
"The child you saved. Her name is T'yala. She will be sad to see you go." The Elder spoke with a grin.
Michelangelo frowned before speaking "I guess I could stay for a bit… just to make sure she doesn't get sad… and to make sure those guys don't return and try to take someone else."
The Elder stood up from his place "Then we better go and introduce you" The Elder walked out of the hut.
"Just for a little while!" Mikey called after the man but head no reply. Klunk was already sitting up and looking curious.
Mikey sighed "I know girl… let's go"
.~,~.
The sunlight warmed his eyelids as he rested in a tree. Klunk was out hunting with the hunters while he rested in the warmest hours of the days.
His plan had been to just stay for a little while. Then continue on and look for a place for him and Klunk. But the people had been nice. And Klunk had loved the old temple.
Aside from that, it was nice to have a place where he could be himself again. Even if learning the language had been difficult-
"Mikey! Mikey! Come down! You promised you would help me with my bow today!" That was a voice he knew.
Mikey opened his left eye and looked downwards. A young girl with dark skin, black hair and brown eyes in a yellow tribal styled dress was looking up at him. Glaring with all her might.
The turtle grinned as he closed his eye again "The sun is still up. The day isn't over. I haven't broken my promise T'yala." He heard the girl stomp her feet.
The Elder had been right. The second they had even tried to mention that Mikey had been planning on leaving the girl had latched on to him. Not wanting to see him go.
The reason still amused him to this day.
While normal people would look at him and see him as a monster. T'yala has seen a man send by their goddess to save her.
It had taken Mikey a long time before he realised that. He had been shocked and after that laughed for a good while before gently explaining to the children that he was not send by their Goddess of the Sun.
That day he had also learned that this tribe believed in something they called the Goddess of the Sun. Though Mikey was sure he translated that wrong somehow. It didn't really matter. All that matter was that they believe everything was in contact with each other and with their Goddess. Mikey must admit that he hadn't bothered learning the details, he had however painted a few wall paintings on the outer walls of the temple at the Elder's request. He had enjoyed doing that.
The tree shook slightly and brought the ninja out of his musings and made him look down again. The girl was pulling her leg back again for another kick. Mikey sighed "Okay. I am coming down, no need to abuse the tree Miss Impatient." Mikey sat up and let himself drop out of the tree without making a sound.
T'yala gave a big grin as she latched onto the turtle's arm. "Let's go! I got all my stuff ready and prepared targets." Mikey gave a big sigh but only for show as he walked with the excited girl.
The time had passed quickly. A week had turned into a month. One into two.
Mikey wasn't even sure how long it had been, he would have to ask the old man about that or maybe go to an city to check it.
They arrived at the practise field and Mikey helped T'yala with her bow and helped her pull back the first arrow "Now. Just repeat it like this and try to aim." Mikey stepped back and watched the arrow fly. The arrow didn't reach the target but it was just the first shot.
Mikey quickly reassured his heart broken student and helped her pull back the next one.
Life was okay. But the turtle still missed his family. He counted in his head and concluded that it had been closer to the three years than two.
Mikey nodded to himself. This week he would help T'yala train for her first hunt before going to check how much time had passed. He had grown a lot in the past time and had kept up his skills and even learned a few more.
Maybe… just maybe… It was time he started making plans to return home.