Chapter 55: True Ninjas
A/N: Here's the next chapter. That episode was awesome, and I thought it was one of the best so far. I definitely can't wait for them to go back to New York. This chapter will take place after "Vision Quest." Thanks to those who have read and reviewed thus far. I t means a lot to me.
Disclaimer: TMNT belongs to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot.
I've learned that sometimes, people need time on their own to find themselves and to gain perspective. Well, that happened with the Turtles when they went on their vision quests. It all started after Leo went off on his own and got beaten up by a deer. He learned that they had to be one with nature and so they decided to leave for three days to do just that. April and I wanted to go with them, but they said it was only for ninjas. I understood that as I wasn't a full ninja yet and probably wouldn't be able to deal with what they wanted to do, but April was still mad about it. The guys packed up, said goodbye, and left for the woods.
"I just can't believe this!" April fumed. "Just because I'm a girl, I can still do things the guys can. I should be allowed to go, too."
"It doesn't have anything to do with you being a girl," I said. "It has to do with the fact that you're not a true kunoichi yet, and what the guys are going to do is really hard. They have to connect to Nature and to their spirits, and it's not easy. Master Splinter once told me about this exercise and said it was hard. Not everyone can do it right away, and if you don't have the skills you need, you won't make it. You're just not there yet, April, and neither am I. So you need to suck it up and deal with it instead of acting like a whiny brat."
April glared at me and left. I could tell she probably wasn't going to listen to me, but I didn't care. She sparred with Casey while I hung out with Abby and Gia for a bit. I could tell Abby was lonely without Leo there and she was worried about him.
"Will Mr. Turtle come back, Mr. Pizza Man?" she asked me.
"Yeah, he'll come back," I reassured her. "They're just going on a camping trip to help heal from all that has happened."
"April's not happy that she couldn't go," Abby said. "I wish I could go, too."
"Maybe next time we can all go on a camping trip," I said. "I'll talk to the guys and see what they think."
She accepted that and continued playing. One thing about Abby was that she didn't hold grudges for long, and that was a good thing.
The next three days passed by uneventfully for us. We settled into a routine and just did what we usually did when the Turtles were here. I was starting to get worried, but then I saw them come out of the woods. They were dressed in cloaks and were carrying flags with characters that looked Japanese to me. April had just succeeded in breaking the wood by herself when she saw them, too.
"What happened out there?" she asked.
Leo looked determined. "It's time," he replied. "We're going back to New York."
"Are you serious?" Casey asked him.
"Yes," Leo answered. "We've been here long enough, and it's time to take back the city."
"So what happened to you guys?" I asked. "Are you allowed to tell us?"
"Yeah, we can tell you," Don replied.
So they explained how Splinter had come to them and told them they had to go on this quest. They each had a spiritual element they had to master: fire, wind, mountain, and forest. To master these things, they had to fight enemies they'd fought before. Don faced Tiger Claw, Raph faced Fishface, Mikey faced Rahzar, and Leo had to face Shredder. They managed to learn how to defeat them and master themselves, which is why they had returned.
"That's awesome!" Casey said. "You guys rock!"
"Thanks, dude," Mikey said.
"So what happens now?" April asked.
"We make plans to go back and take back the city," Leo answered.
"I don't' know how we can do that," I said. "We don't know much about what's going on."
"Then we'll have to play it by ear and be prepared for anything," Leo told me.
"Is Splinter okay?"
Leo nodded. "He's alive, though I don't know what shape he's in. But at least it's something to go on and a motivation for us to go back."
I nodded and began preparing to go back. We'd been here so long that I really didn't think we'd ever go back to the city or that we'd have that chance. How would we defeat the Kraang? Would we have to face Shredder, too? What would our city look like? I was worried that my fellow employees would probably be mutated, so we'd have to get them back to normal along with April's dad. There were just so many things we had to think about, and it was hard to think about what we'd be facing when we got back. Leo decided we'd leave at night as it would be easier to travel then so the rest of the day was spent packing and just getting ready.
"Are we really going back, Mr. Pizza Man?" Abby asked me.
"Yes, Abby, we're going back home," I replied.
"Do you think Daddy will be okay?"
"I don't know Abby, but if he's mutated, Donnie will do all he can to get him back to you."
"I know. Donnie's smart so he can do anything."
"Yeah, he can. Now start packing."
"I only have Ruffles McBearington," she said.
"Okay, well make sure you don't forget him."
"I won't."
Mikey didn't take Ice Cream Kitty out of the freezer until we were ready to leave because he didn't want her to be lonely. She seemed reluctant to leave, but some persuading by Mikey and Abby helped her to leave the freezer and into the cooler where she belonged.
"Is everyone ready?" Leo asked us.
We nodded and said that we were. Then we left the house that we'd called home for months and entered the Party Wagon. I looked back as Casey started the engine and began to leave the house, wondering if we'd ever see it again. Then I faced forward because it was time for us to focus on the present and in taking back the city that was rightfully ours.
"Are you ready for this, Tony?" Leo asked me.
"Yeah, I am," I said. "I know I can't help you out as much as you'd like, but I want to do my part."
Leo nodded. "We'll figure it out."
"Are you ready to do this?" I asked him.
"I think so," he answered. "I'm still nervous about it, but I know that when I face Shredder, the others will have my back. I have to face him and get this over with. I can't be afraid anymore."
"I hear you on that," I said.
"Let's get some sleep. We've got a long journey ahead of us."
I nodded and closed my eyes. Abby was curled up in Leo's lap, and I settled against his shoulder. It was time to get some rest and prepare for the battle ahead. I just hoped that this time we'd come out on top.
A/N: And that's the end of another chapter. Sorry I didn't do much with it, but that was all I could think of. I can't wait for them to take back the city and to see what they do. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.
