"So, I guess you're wondering how I know Allie May." Mikey mused, bringing the whole group to look at him curiously. It hadn't been long after Drayka had warned them and Allie May had sent them away that an unnatural darkness had descended over the land of Nexus. Even Clare, the girl who couldn't see, could tell there was a difference in the air. Leo made the decision that they should seek shelter, and the closest thing was a cave. They all crowded in, a fire was lit it was that dark, and wondered about Drayka.
Until Mikey spoke up of course.
"How the heck do you know that Bird Brain anyway?" Raph snorted.
"Yeah, I've been wondering." Clarissa agreed.
"What'd you do this time, Mikey?" Donny groaned.
"Is this the time we bumped into Allie May? Or did you do something else?" The Ultimate Ninja questioned.
"Before we met." Mikey replied.
"What the heck is a Triceraton anyway?" Melody signed confused, and Valentine quickly translated.
"No, Mikey, you didn't!" Leo cried out. "Triceratons? What did you do this time?"
"Triceratons?" Clarissa blinked.
"Tell you later." Leo sighed.
"Triceratons, exactly like they sound." Donny began. "They're like Triceratops the dinosaurs, with the famous three horns on their face, one in the nose's place and two behind the head. Triceratons are extremely aggressive, and can be known for being vigilantes, criminals, and tough to crack prison guards. Once provoked, they are extremely hard to dissuade." The three sisters gaped, and Don shrugged. "What? I like to read."
"Yeah, what Don said." Raph seconded.
"Yeah, yeah, my story. Let's get back to me now." Mikey sighed, an over dramatized production that had the group rolling their eyes at him. "What?" He asked.
"Nothing, Mikey." Don snorted, pulling his legs in and sitting criss cross applesauce as Clarissa got comfortable against Leo, Melody smiled and grinned at Ve-Sama, her way of saying 'This is gonna be good'. Everyone could tell one thing: Val and Raph were fighting. They sat on opposite sides of the room, glaring daggers, looking standoffish, and giving pointed looks at each other. Well, not everyone noticed. Mikey, being the big shell for brains he is, and also being completely dense, didn't even register the animosity around him.
"Well, let's here what you did this time." Leo sighed, putting an arm around Clare.
"Well, let me take you back a long, long, long time ago...well it wasn't really that long ago, just a couple of years, but it felt like it was anyway. I don't want to bore you with everything, so I guess I'll just start at the beginning.
"I was a young turtle then, curious and eager, bright and understanding," A snort was let out at this. "but when I saw Father was leaving, I decided to follow him. He told me to go back, and I had to use all of my ninja training to avoid capture. I followed him to a place called Nexus, this place, and so began one of the longest, craziest, boringest, coolest, adventurist days of my life!" Mikey grinned. "I stepped out into Nexus, amazed by everything I saw. All the colors and creatures and things that I couldn't possibly believe in were actually real! There were things like us, crazy and weird and totally awesome! And by the time I had taken everything in, I had lost sight of Master Splinter. So I did what any rational being would do: I went into the nearest place I could find. Turned out it was a hostel of some sort, and let me tell you, the people there, I think they were on something." He nodded, looking all wise and knowing at the rest of them. "And there was this guy with dreadlocks, he was definitely on something. He was painting this picture...yeah. Not a pretty sight.
"Besides for the fact they wanted to try to braid my bandana, it was okay...I guess. Some nice dude told me to ride the magic train in the sky, and I really thought he was losing it. Turns out, there really is a magic train!" He said gleefully. "Okay, it wasn't a real train like back home, but it looks like one! It seems to go on forever and ever, and it was so wacky. It was floating above the ground, and it was just totally weird. But even though it was floating, there were tracks beneath it to follow, so I guess maybe it was something like magnetism? I dunno. But anyway, there was all this luggage in front of it, and this weirdo was lying on top of all of it, looking like some homeless whack-job with a hoodie like thing and a blanket on top of that and what could've been a poncho on top of that. But what was really funny? He was wearing a sombrero. In Nexus. Isn't that just funny? Oh, and I haven't gotten to the best part! This dog came up, and started licking his heel and all the luggage! Anyway, the guy from the hostel helped me buy a ticket and gave me this heavy bag full of stuff, and I got on board.
"Wherever it was going, I wasn't really sure and all I knew was it was a two hour trip thing, and I'd get off at the other end. Now that I think about it, I don't really know why I got on board in the first place. Hm, you'd think all the ninja training would've helped me out more...But, my amazing common sense isn't what we're discussing now, is it? Anyway, the two hour trip turned into a six hour trip, and that's where things start to get interesting." Mikey grinned, a gleeful look in his eyes.
"What happened?" Clarissa asked curiously, asking the question the group dreaded.
"There was a dead body on the tracks." He said simply, a wicked smile on his face. "At the time, I didn't realize what was actually happening. I thought it was a rock slide or something blocking the tracks, and the whole magnetism, polarity thingy was thrown out of whack. Everyone around me was taking a nap or trying to sleep on the train ride, but I was wired from being in Nexus and seeing all sorts of weird things. So I basically drank bottled water for fun for the next three hours. It wasn't as fun as it sounded, trust me." Mikey snorted, shaking his head and rolling his eyes as the fire danced in its little pit. "But when I got to the other end of the tracks, finally, and got off, I found out the truth about everything. I wasn't that worried, but something made me listen to the conductor telling some concerned passengers about it. Turns out, the guy who died, looked a lot like me. Green skin, even wore a mask like me...It was uncanny, but I was bored and moved on. The guy back at that hostel I was telling you about? He gave me these directions to go up the mountain when I got to the other end of the tracks. You'd think I'd know better than to listen to some stranger, but I wanted to have some fun, get in a little sight seeing...apparently, I can be a little oblivious sometimes." He told us, and we could tell he didn't believe it.
"You? Noo." Val said in mock shock, shaking her head and holding in her laughter.
"Never would've thought that." Clare added, shaking her head and repressing a smile.
"I agree with you ladies, but some people just don't know how amazing and observant I can be." Mikey shrugged. "But, I climbed that dumb hill. And let me tell you, carrying a 50 pound backpack is no laughing matter. And that mountain was huge! I was climbing for miles! It wasn't fair. When I got to the top, there was this little building, and this dudette came out and greeted me."
"Let me guess. It was Allie May, right?" Raph spoke up.
"Nah, it was a lady who ran the hostel at the top of the hill, and she was partnered with the hostel at the bottom of the hill or something like that, but I passed her the backpack I had carried when she asked and that was that. Turns out I was being used as a pack mule, but for what exactly I never found out. I was playing outside the hostel when my first Triceraton attacked. Of course, being a ninja I easily defeated him." A snort rang out again, and Mikey amended his statement. "Okay, a few other guys helped too, but it was mostly me."
"Uh-huh."
"Sure."
"Whatever you say."
"Anyway, we're getting off topic. Back to me now, please. As it turns out, I'd gotten into a war between a bunch of Triceratons and Nexians, and it was not pretty. I wasn't able to wash my bandana for four whole days! I was the worst smelling un-official American ever, I just stank that bad." Mikey shuddered. "I'm still getting dirt out of places dirt shouldn't be, and the worse part? This was even worse than when Master Splinter made us practice 48 hours straight!"
"Poor Mikey." Melody signed, but wasn't translated out loud.
"And using my awesome amazing ninja skills, I was able to outsmart the 'Ceratons and ended up in Allie May's compound. This is when I met her, Raph. But of course, it was a really long journey to get back down that mountain, avoid things that wanted my head, and live in the jungle for days on end. It wasn't fair! And did I mention I missed a Silver Centurion marathon because of all this? It just wasn't cool!" He boo-hooed. He sighed, and came back to his original story. "Being as smart and cunning as I am, I eluded my pursuers for some time, but they somehow got back on my trail again. Somehow..."
"Mm-hm."
"Sure."
"Hey!" Mikey said indignantly. "Anyways, somehow they got back on my trail, and we all ended up duking it out at Allie's hideaway. It wasn't pretty. Even then I was pretty strong, and was throwing those meanies into walls and smashing stuff. It was kinda fun." He grinned sheepishly.
"And who helped you with all this?" Don asked knowingly.
"Well, turns out there were some Samurai masters staying at Allie's with their loved ones, and there was a retreat nearby. Some of the best of the best, fighting it out to see who was the best. It was kinda like Battle Nexus, only this was a Samurai's only tournament." He pouted. "Even though I didn't need the help," Everyone knew he did. "the masters came and helped me, and we ended up trashing Allie's hotel..." He chuckled nervously. "Allie May was real cool about it...after she had yelled me out and rung me out to dry. She can be pretty mean when she wants to, even if she does look like a cutesy birdie. Do not get on her bad side, she's got a mean streak...she does!" Mikey exclaimed to some 'mm-hms'. "By then the Daimyo and all his entourage had turned up to find out what the heck had been going on, and Allie May said or did something to make him get off her back because eventually he left, and Allie May made me repair some of the damages. I didn't want to see another power tool in my life!" He shivered, the terrible trauma so obvious.
"And then Sensei showed up. I just don't get how Master Splinter knows everybody!" Mikey complained. "They talked like they were good friends, and then she mixed up this little drink and gave it to me, and I forgot all about everything. I don't know what kinda magic she used, because the next morning I woke up in my own bed back in the sewers in New York City, and I couldn't remember a thing! When we finally went to Nexus for the first time together, I started to remember everything, and when I ran into Allie May I really remembered everything!" He chuckled, shaking his head. "I wanted to tell you guys, but Allie wouldn't let me. She said the past was best left hidden, that she had gotten the Triceratons to forget everything...how is still a mystery though...and that as long as we didn't have to worry about it everything was fine.
"She was right, it made a great story to tell, but I never told you guys any of it." He said quietly. "It was a secret I had to keep, and of all the other ones I've blabbed I knew I actually had to try to keep it, and I have. Until now..."
The group was silent, taking in his story, the unknown resolve the orange banded turtle had when it came to some secrets. It wasn't like Mikey to keep things, even secrets leaked out, but this little episode? It was something different.
"Well anyway! Who has some marshmellows? I'm dying for a smore!" Just like that, with Mikey's usual cheerfulness back, the group came back to life. "We have the fire already." He prompted the group.
"How the heck am I supposed to have any marshmellows shell for brains? Do you think I just carry marshmellow bags around for fun?" Raph snorted.
"Leo? Fearless Leader? You have some right? You know you want a gooey, delicious, amazing smore right now." Mikey wheedled.
"Mikey." Leo groaned.
"Smores do sound like fun." Clare conceded. "But I don't think we have any of the ingredients, and besides, have you looked at the sky? It's terrible conditions for smores making." Clarissa sighed. Even if she couldn't see, she could still sense the shift in the weather. There was something almost tangible about bad weather and good weather, you didn't have to see it to feel it.
"Aw..."
"Next time, okay Mikey?" Clare giggled.
"Yah-Hoo! Smores baby!" Mikey cheered.
"Next time, Mikey." She laughed.
"Awwwww."
