Chapter Twenty One:
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Silence enveloped me; water currents danced in my ears, engulfing and surrounding my subconscious.
Drifting like a leaf, I felt cold and weightless.
Chilled, with bleary tired eyes, I stared at the dark sky before me.
There was no sun, no moon, no stars; everything in front of me was black, pitch black. Slowly, the blackness began to fade as the faintest shaded colors of grey emerged from the darkness, shifting and taking shape.
Was I still underwater? Everything was so dark blue, more black than blue, it looked like- the grey scales of a stone. With my vision still swimming and blurry, I couldn't tell where I was exactly, but I knew for a fact I was no longer in the river, for one thing, I weren't moving, I weren't swimming in spite that I felt wet and a little chilled.
Was I even still alive? Did I drown? Where am I, anyway?
Mike and Don, are they alright? Did that chopper spot them?
Sensei, Usagi; are they alright? Where on earth were they?
I tried to open my eyes wider, to focus and take in the details of my surroundings, but the grayish shades of black and blue squiggly colors kept dancing around, like taunting unclear spots before my eyes. I felt my head throb with pain once more.
With a low groan escaping my dry throat, I turned my head from side to side with blinking eyes, trying desperately to eye my surroundings; only this time, when my senses came awake in the most painful, sharp way possible, I noticed there was a solid floor under my head, and my head, as well as my body were half submerged underwater.
Moving my achy, heavy hands over the solid floor beneath me, stiff cold and numb fingers twitching as the pain spasm through them so violently and sharply, it forced my mind awake; adrenaline pumped through my veins in alarm. I felt about the flat, somewhat uneven ground cold floor under my cautious touch. Reluctantly pushing myself up, a little too forcefully, the throbbing intensified against my head.
The wings kept weighting me down, a painful jolt and hot, prickling sensation started in the sockets, hurting more than ever. They were not responding to me, instead they were unintentionally complying with the law of gravity and trying to keep me down. I sat in what felt like a very, very shallow body of water, and when I bent my knees, the water was a little over ankle deep.
It was about a foot deep, and the water was awful moist and sticky, it somehow felt like- gel?
The funny part was that there was a blur of- green? The water was sparkly with a hint of green? The walls and ceiling were black, blue and with a faint tint of green, spots and blobs of- something, they were a little shiny, randomly dancing around my bleary vision, like something out of a painters dream, they almost looked like colorful fireflies or fairies.
Also, there were a few glittery blobs of red, yellow and bluish green adorning the surrounding walls, and as my vision cleared, only a little, I distinguished that they were not fireflies or fairies at all, they were mushrooms and they were all over the walls, glowing softly.
'And do I smell- something sweet?' I frowned at the familiar yet strange smell. It reminded me of fresh baked bread, like that honey glazed French bread Mike bakes for us on special occasions, but I knew normal bread shouldn't smell this sweet. 'Wait! The smell is coming from the mushrooms on the walls?' my brows sunk deeper, wondering how that was even possible.
Curling my fingers, flexing them in spite of the pain, and then fisting my hands, turning them into tight balls, and then curling my knees closer to my body, I shook off the cool wetness that latched on to my skin and rubbed my tired eyes, squeezing whatever wetness out, wanting to see my current residence better. I soon realized it was a cave, with a tunnel on the far right.
The space was cool and strangely inviting, but the waters I was still sitting in made a few shoreline-like lapping sounds, as if I was at some beach and I was disturbing the crashing waves, but as I took a look around me, it was a small hole in the ground with a small waterfall gap in the wall behind me, that's where the softly trickling waters cascaded into the tub-like bed I was laid in.
Blinking a few more times, I eyed my surroundings once more, wondering how I had managed getting from the bottom of the river to here without acknowledging it, or even recalling leaving the river in the first place.
Only then did my brow-ridges arch high, taking the sight of my current condition and location into consideration. Looking at myself, I saw my injuries had already been cared for and had been mostly healed.
I was wrapped up in bandages, though damp and still feeling cold with the glittery, gel-like waters latching to my numbing skin, my broken ankle was wrapped tightly as well. It looked like a semi-hard cast of sorts, covering my shin a little under the knee with only my two, green toes peeking out; I twiddled them, just to make sure they responded.
I surmised that I was currently in a massive, hollow den inside some sort of cave, '… I think.' With a very high ceiling and a dome-like structure with mushrooms adorning the walls and spreading a strange, appealing and calming sweet scent into the air. It was sugary sweet that much I could tell, but there was just something about the sweet scent that quipped my senses.
I blinked once more when an echoing sound came, bouncing off the walls an eluding my senses, unable to pin where it was coming from exactly. It sounded like footsteps; bare feet on stone.
Eight o'clock? Ten o'clock? No, it might be five o'clock.
"Leo? You're already up, I see." my brother's familiar and friendly voice echoed in the dim, mushroom-lit dome, stepping out of the shadows of the nearby tunnel and greeting me with that gentle, kind smile of his, "Okairi." He added, a look of relief clear on his features; now walking towards me with ease, his olive green skin almost glistering against the soft light.
"Donny?" I croaked, throat dry and voice rasp, "You're alright!" I smiled tiredly, the throbbing returned to my cranium, while trying to push off the wet floor, but he only gestured with a hand for me to stay still, now quietly walking closer, "I- but you and Mike- you- ?" I paused, furrowing in concern, remembering what they were like when I had left them in that burrow, "Mike! Is Mike okay?"
"Dude, I'm fine!" the casual stride and mellow voice bounced against the walls, before the jade, ocean green figure stepped into the softly illuminating light, "I really appreciate your concern, Bro; but worry about yourself for a change?" he smirked, chiding gently, crossing his arms over his plastron and a soft, caring expression, "It's not like we're kids, ya know! We can take care of ourselves."
I blinked at them, those squiggly colors and shapes dancing along their boarders, confusing me and my still bleary vision. The tear-gas bomb might have done more damage than I have thought, but at least I could still see their bodies, bandaged and tended to with patches of grey and white specks of something floating around them, they didn't look like fireflies or something of the like, but I couldn't tell what they were, either.
To my relief, Donny was looking more alive than ever. He looked way much better than when I had last seen him, when I had left him and Mike in that burrow. It's almost as if his injuries have disappeared and were healed by magic!
"But, you were…?" I trailed on, glancing from one brother to the other, "Where are we?"
"After you left, we heard guns firing and the chopper's noise was pretty hard to miss." Don explained, weight shifting to one side and a fist to his hip, or where his hip is supposed to be.
His other, once-dangerously-injured arm was wrapped up in clean white bandages from fingertips to shoulder and across his chest, as well as the other minor cuts were already tended to. He didn't have the kneepad on, where the bandages encircled his once swollen and sprinted knee; they covered him from ankle to half way up his thigh.
"Did they find you?" I dare ask, a pang of worry bubbled in the pit of my stomach, wondering if they were found and were forced to flee.
"No, and yes;" Don smiled a bit, "Bishop's men didn't find us," he answered at first, then his smile fell into a concerned furrow, "when we heard your scream, we knew something happened, so we didn't want to stay while knowing you were in danger, we abandoned the tree to look for you." He told, a tired gleam shone in his eyes as his eyes scanned me, before stopping at my ankle.
"Mike wanted to leave immediately, but he knew I couldn't be left alone. He refused to leave even when I told him to." he gave our blankly blinking ocean-green brother a glance, "I guess he took after you in the stubbornness department." He said, voice sounding more with praise than anything else, "Not that I'm complaining, I think it's a good trait." He gave Mike a playful slap on the back.
Mike's face remained blank, but through the bleariness of my vision, I could have sworn his cheeks changed color.
"Well it's not like I could have just left you there, Donny! Bishop's mean ole lackeys were all over the place! Like flies on bullcrap!" he whined in his usual Mike-like manner, "I wish Raph was there, he would have showed them who's boss!" he swung his fists around as if he were in a boxing match, "He'd give them a left, and a right! Another left! And another right!" he turned to face his shadow and continued boxing it, "And then Wham! O.K.! Three strikes an' yer out!" he bellowed in a fake-amused laugh.
I inwardly sunk my head between my shoulders and half wanted to plug my ears. His voice bounced against the room's walls and the volume doubled! Sounding louder and more annoying than ever!
Don chuckled and gave a negative shake, "Yup, still the loud and obnoxious Michelangelo we know and love to pummel." He muttered, ignoring Mike's pout and tongue jut, and then he looked back at me while Mike gave a baby face and left the cave, exiting from where they had previously came, "How are the wings, Leo? They got hit pretty badly when we fished you out of the river." My olive green brother voiced out his concern.
"Wings?" I croaked again, now bending over my knees, wincing a bit at the slight jolt of pain that sparked in my hurting ankle. Still sitting on my faintly sore tail, I attempted flicking the wings, but they weren't responding. Worry knotted my stomach once more so I tried again, and this time the black one twitched, sending pangs of hurt down my arms, making me groan.
It took the white wing a little more before it responded, but they both ached like burning amber scorching the flesh around the base of the socket, almost reminding me of how much they hurt when they were first born, except this time something stung, like a needle, it didn't feel right at all.
Walking closer and kneeling next to me, I turned to my approaching brother, then I remembered I was in lower ground and though still ankle deep, but now that my vision and mind are more focused, I noticed the waters had this strange white glowing matter, floating on the surface. Don scooped a handful of water, took my closer hand and then brushed the water over an irritated spot of skin there.
First, though my skin was cold and numb, I frowned and tensed when a prickly cool feeling sank under my skin, the irritated skin sparkled with the touch of water, I felt my skin like a sponge sucking the water almost instantly, and the tint of red-irritation on my flesh had vanished!
Looking at my brother in bewilderment, I realized he must've used this water to heal his injuries. His olive green skin looked in a much better condition than before. I even checked myself all over again, searching for the more serious injuries I had sustained during our battle with the fifteen, heavily armed men, only to discover that most of my cuts and bruises were gone.
When I looked at him with a perplexed and baffled look, expecting an explanation, he merely cupped both hands in the shallow waters and without a warning, splashed it right in my face! I gasped at the sudden chill that slapped my warmer face, and instantly rubbed my eyes, squeezing out the cool, tingling-something; half growling and complaining at him and asking why he did so, he just advised me cup more water, and then rub my eyes till I was sure they were clean.
Grumbling to myself I did as told, eyes tearing a bit with the prickling sensation in the back of my sockets. While washing my face with the water I was still sitting in, I did notice there a nice feel to the gel-like waters when it drizzled down my skin. When I blinked once, twice, my eyes widened. Everything was bright and clear and no longer in a bleary, blurry patch of squiggly blobs of random colors and shapes.
I noticed that the sparkly, squiggly white specks of something were indeed fireflies, but they only lingered around the tiny, colorfully capped mushrooms that decorated the walls with their reddish-pink, fluorescent yellow and grass green mushrooms.
"How did this happen?" I asked Donny, mystified.
"This is a healing chamber; you've been asleep here for ten hours, Leo." He answered, "The water you were kept in works something like a status-tube in a hospital, you know? The waters are natural- um, what did Mikey call it," he dropped into a thoughtful expression, "What was it?" he looked at me, scratching his head, questioning, "It's something out of one of his videogames, forgot what they call it; it's on the tip of my tongue."
"Holy water?" I offered, and he shook his head, replying it was not it, "Potion? Elixir? Phoenix down?" I added.
He snapped his fingers, "Yes! Phoenix down!" he grinned, then his brows sunk with a sheepish smile, "Um, what does it do?"
I grinned a little, silently thanking the fact that I've spent time playing those role playing games with Mike, on one of his gaming console when we were back at the lair. "It revives an already knocked out character." As soon as the words left my mouth, I swallowed a lump that formed in the back of my throat, wondering about the 'fished you out of the water' and 'asleep for ten hours' parts my brother mentioned earlier, "Why? Did I look that bad?"
He sent me a weary smile, "You were fine, it was the wings and the ankle we were worried about." He expressed his concern with a soft voice, glancing at my bandaged limb, "I don't know how it happened, but when we found you," He settled setting down on his legs, they were buckled under him, "your white wing was pretty much pulled out of its socket." He answered and looked at me with a slight smile.
After a moment, he furrowed, probably noticing my mortified reaction, "Leo, you- um, you can move it, right?"
"It- it didn't respond at first," I admitted, now glancing over my shoulder to the white sail for a wing, my heart beating faster against my plastron, "it only twitched, but didn't really respond, not like usual." I confessed, now looking back at him.
He unbuckled his legs and stepped into the water, now coming behind me, his fingers touching about the top scutes of my shell, fingering the base of my wing. I stifled a gasp when he touched a tender, throbbing spot at the base, it stung and blistered painfully as if it had been stabbed by a thorn. He hummed in thought and then gently pressed a hand to the chipped side my shell, his other hand rubbed a bulged vein until it started throbbing, before he cupped his hand in the water, pouring the cool liquid on it, dampening it.
It felt better, much better when the throbbing stopped.
But I was not prepared when he murmured something under his breath, something I couldn't quite catch, and then suddenly and without a proper warning, yanked it out with one sharp tug, then snapped the wing forth, shoving it right into the socket with a loud crack and pop!
I think my cry was so thunderous, it echoed in the closed, hollow space and the volume was so high, it deafened my own ears! The voice was so- strange! Louder than a banshee, and more agonized than the one I released when my ankle snapped. I swear! That yowl sounded like it belonged to some exotic beast that was having a fit, it was too deafening, too- inhuman! I had a hard time recognizing that single, faint note in the fading echo that assured me that, yes! It was indeed my own voice!
My heartbeats were pounding and thumping crazily and almost mercilessly in my deafened ears.
I heard nothing but my own pulse as it pumped against my tender brain; it was giving me a terrible headache! As soon as the echo faded and I could hear my own shallow breathing once again, I realized I was so startled and pained by the swift and unbearable movement, it sunk in when the wing twitched on it's own, feeling more alive and a part of me once more.
I stared at my feet, more at my wrapped limb than anything else, now with my body curled up into a tight ball with my arms crossed over my chest, each hand clutching the opposite shoulder, fingers digging into the flesh enough to cause a sharp amount of noticeable pain, but not deep enough to draw blood. I have curled over myself so tightly, the tip if my snout touched the cool waters; a gentle touch, like the caress of a feather tickled my partly dulled senses, subduing the pain, making it fade away.
I was still ankle deep in glistering green-tinted waters, staring exhaustedly at my reflection, where the blurred brown eyes stared back at me, mask-less and fatigued; questions roamed in those eyes, but I had no answers.
It took me a few seconds to take a breather and calm my racing heart, eyes closed for a moment.
I allowed my wings to twitch and spread out, in spite of the jolting, stinging soreness it brought to my still sensitive, freshly awoken senses, before flicking and bending it with a flap or to and then tucked it back again, a small bushed smile stretched my lips, relief washed over me once again, understanding that the wing had probably been dislodged, that's why it wasn't responding, and Don just shoved it back in place.
"Thanks." I croaked tiredly, "I only wish that you had given me a warning first, though. That hurt!" I complained weakly.
He smiled sheepishly, "I did, but I guess you didn't hear me. Sorry."
"What is happening?" the sound of something scratching the stone floor bounced against the walls, thrown around where I could not pinpoint the exact source, but since there was only one tunnel leading into and out of the cave, there wasn't much to worry about, "We heard a loud cry, is everything well, my son?" the familiar, gentle yet raspy voice of my father echoed in the room, louder and more pronounced, easier to locate.
As if on cue, Mike was right behind him, a startled and concerned expression melted into a humored smile, "You okay Leo?"
I whipped my head around, spying father standing at the mouth of the tunnel Mike and Don had come from, "Sensei!" I called, relief to see that he was without a scratch, nor was he even bandaged, meaning that he did not get hurt during the fight. "Sensei! You're okay!" I greeted in overwhelming joy and relief, but then a cold chunk of ice slammed into the pit of my stomach, "But- where is Usagi? Is he alright?" I asked, concerned about the samurai's whereabouts, wondering if he was here with us, wherever 'here' was.
"Miyamoto-san is fine, Leonardo. He is in another healing chamber; there is no danger for his welfare." Father motioned with his hand, tail and whiskers twitching, now coming closer with a fatherly smile, kneeling on one knee, his dull-clawed hand cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing my cool, damp skin tenderly, "I am glad to see you are alright, we were worried."
I cupped his hand where it cupped my cheek and smiled back, "I'm glad your okay, too, Sensei." I replied.
He drew back his hand and then looked at me with a strange glint in his eyes, though still smiling. I blinked at him, puzzled.
Thwack!
"OW!" I yelped and pressed my hands to my now throbbing lump on my poor skull.
Chewing on my lower lip, I suppressed a stream of curses; that damn hurt!
Flashing the best puppy-eyes I could muster, -and avoiding the urge to voice out a red streak of curses, Raph style,- I peeked up at father and that darn walking stick, mildly paying attention to Mike's shocked face, "Sensei! What was that for?" I whined for the umpteenth time since our arrival at Northampton, a tear already prickling and gathering the corner of my eye, but I quickly flicked it away, not wanting it to linger.
"That, was for almost giving this old rat a heart attack!" he said in a scolding tone and shook his cane, before slapping it in his palm and grasping it tight, suppressing the urge to use it on my backside next, "What were you thinking? Jumping off a cliff when you were fully aware you have not had enough training with the wings?" he lectured, eyes deep and tail lashing about, completely ignorant to Don and Mike who were slowly slinking out of the cave on their tiptoes, "You could have gotten yourself killed!"
"Y- you were there?" I gulped with wide shot eyes, feeling like a tiny midget in his presence, my cheeks warming and changing color no doubt.
Now that I think back about it, I did sense someone following me, but I suspected them to be Bishop's men, I never stopped to think that it could have been father and Usagi! That thought alone was enough to start a strange twisting knot of something, it stirred and wriggled in my chest; right about then, I was thankful my brothers had left, because I knew father would chew me through for this. If not now, then later once things are settled and I'm in a better physical state to take a more suitable punishment.
"Yes, I was there!" he huffed, almost a hissed sign, "I understand that you had probably not recognized us and thought we were the enemy, and I am glad you decided not to wait to battle them, you were suffering terrible wounds," he glanced at my ankle, a look of parental concern and worry lingered in those deep brown eyes, before he spoke once more, "But still," his features hardened and that glint disappeared, but his tail kept lashing about, a sign that he was still upset, if not overly concerned with that unintentional stunt I pulled, "Don't you ever, ever scare me like that again! Do I make myself clear, Leonardo?" he chided, now staff back in his hand and its end resting on the stony floor.
"Yes, sensei." I nodded meekly, sheepishly.
His tail lashed in clear frustration, his fur all fluffed up, that half concerned, half upset gleam still in his eyes.
I knew that look very well, for whenever my brothers and I get into some sort of fix and almost get ourselves killed; father always has that look in his eyes. It depends on the situation, really, but once whatever trouble we've got ourselves tangled in is done with and settled, we know for sure a serious tail warming is in store.
And I have the gut feeling my latest stunt with the Cliffside has scored something with dear ole dad, too.
'Oh boy, this is so not gonna be pretty.' I sent him a humble smile.
You can send me against the maddest, craziest and maybe even the dirtiest, foul playing fighters in the face of the universe, and I would do my best not to falter and defeat them with honor! But I could never be so courageous in facing my father, knowing that he is fuming mad! If there is ever a force my brothers and I fear to the bone, it's our parent's wrath!
Mike and Raph know it best, while Don and I aren't too acquainted with that; thank god.
After a long moment of silence and staring, he was just looking at me with criticizing eyes, his tail lashing left and right like an angry cat, -ironic, for a rat, no?- his face unreadable and his body as still as stone, revealing no thoughts or emotions. He remained unmoving while the lashing rhythm of his tail slowed to a full stop. I just sat there with my heart already speeding a beat or two, still on my tail in the cool, ankle-deep waters, embarrassed and slowly uncurling from around myself, my tail already feeling tingly with the possible idea of another whupping!
Heck! If I do get another one, it'll be the third one in two weeks! And to me, that's a record!
Yes I admit it, I might be eighteen years old, but I still fear my father!
He might look small and frail, but he is a wealth of power to be reckoned with!
But then, his appearance relaxed and then nodded once, "Very well, it had been a very long day and you must be exhausted," he said with a kind, tender tone, so I raised my chin to look at him, "rest for tonight, Leonardo, we will move out in the morning." He finally told, gentle brown eyes softening against the illuminating light of red, yellow and green mushrooms.
His ashen white brows met in a concerned furrow, he continued, "But surely Raphael is very anxious and worried about us now. I don't want him rushing out on impulse to look for us, only to end up captured." He murmured, expressing his worry about our hotheaded and rash brother.
"I don't think we have to worry about Raph, sensei." I told quietly, careful with my words, "When we left the farmhouse, he was pretty much spent, and his injuries weren't serious, but they'll probably keep him immobile for a few more days." I explained, recalling how battered and bruised he was when I had last seen him, resting tiredly against Angel's shoulder, while April and Lorelei tended to his wounds.
I still don't like the dulled, faded shine I saw in his eyes though, I'm worried.
Father's brows sunk, a hand stroked his chin as his fingers groomed the small tuft of hair that resembled a beard on his chin, "I see. Well then, I will inform our host of your condition, hopefully things will move quicker and more easily, and we will be prepared to move out in the morning." He then added with a nod, smiling at me in that tender, fatherly manner, and then turned to leave.
I watched him go, sighing in relief; I guess I was out of the fry pan after all.
"Oh, and Leonardo?" he spoke, sending a chill prickling my skin and causing goose-bumps all over my arms.
"Yes, Sensei?" I replied meekly, cursing myself for thinking it was over so soon. What was I thinking?
"Once this is over, expect a little extra 'something' once we get back home." His tail twitched, a knowing smile flashed with the bright white of the eyes in the darkened tunnel, "Rest for now, we have a long way ahead of us."
"Hai, sensei." I replied, now unbuckling my legs, I remained seated in the shallow waters.
Well, looking at the bright side, from now till this problem is solved is a fair amount of time; sensei is bound to forget about handing me my tail once it's all over, right? Right! So there is no need for me to worry!
"And Leonardo?" his voice echoed again, his body already vanishing with the darkened tunnel, "Since I cant help but be a little more forgetful as of late, I expect you to remind me when we get home."
Again, I silently cursed myself, 'I just jinxed myself, didn't I.' "Hai, sensei." I replied glumly.
The raspy chuckle that came after only made my lips curl into an annoyed smile.
Father can be so… scary! I'm really gonna get it once we get back home, huh.
I am so not looking forwards to this, not at all!
What would I do to switch places with Raph right now…
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A/N: is getting tired