"Further, further, keep your eyes closed, we're almost there." Michelangelo's excited tone made April's heart beat enthusiastically, but she couldn't help her laughter while she was guided by leading hands on her shoulder, her own obediently laid over her eyes.

"How am I supposed to find my way here if this is going to be our new meeting spot?" She understood the desire for it being a surprise in the kappa's eyes, but honestly she had been walking blind for a good half hour now.

"Hmm, didn't think that far, but I'll figure out the details . . . eventually . . . just keep moving." Michelangelo wasn't the only one with her. Donatello was obviously nearby due to his acute commentary rising up every minute or so. And there was another, Raijirou, or Raphael as April's come to name. He was the only additional companion she's gained in the last few weeks after that incident. Whenever she inquired about their oldest brother, all three of them would teetered away from the subject, so April didn't ask anymore, but the kappa had always been on her mind.

A further step had April almost losing her footing, in that she had likely about stepped into something. It was Michelangelo's hands that pulled her back.

"Whoa, whoa, not that far."

"Maybe if you'd let her open her eyes she can see where she's going, Mikey."

"And ruin the surprise? Why would I do that, Donnie?"

"Will you two stop bickering and just let her see where she is?" April smiled at Raphael's comment, hoping the other two would be pressured enough to do just that.

Michelangelo sighed, but let go of her. "Alright, tell us what you think."

The image that April met the moment she opened her eyes was an array of colorful prisms, all formed from cascading falls that fell into springs. There were two small ones, and the largest tipped off into a deep pooled creek. The vegetation surrounding it all was lush and green with vines winding up the stacked stones that gushed waters out of their cores.

Moss covered rocks dotted the edges of these springs, inviting a seat to stay and dip weary feet inside. Surrounding it all was late year flora, bright red and clustered in patches. The urge to lay herself down in these blossoms almost moved April, but not as much as Michelangelo's call to her from atop the falls.

"April, check this out!" As soon as her eyes were on him, Michelangelo jumped down the falls. The erosion crafted a natural slide of which he enjoyed all the way down toward the largest pool. The girth of his colliding splash even managed to make its way over toward her, and she jumped back in worry over wetting her art case. But her smile never left her face, especially as the kappa popped up a moment later with triumphant arms raised.

"Ha! You call that a jump? Watch this!" April had just enough time to notice Raphael had made his way to the top, and instead of using the slide he simply lunged off the edge and fell straight down into the pool with no concern for Michelangelo's position at all.

"Wait, wait, wait! AH!" Down the two went, and with the force of the collision, April wondered if they were both alright, even above the concern of the result of the displacing water wetting the edge of her dress.

Rushing over, April hopped along some of the edging rocks, trying to peer into the pool to see if the two were alright. The pool was deep, but clear and she saw the two approach before breaking surface.

"Landing on me was so not cool!" Michelangelo complained, giving his brother a dirty look for only a moment before he was all grins again. "But that jump was bonkers!"

Taking off her shoes, April dipped her feet into the cool springs the moment the brothers began splashing water at each other. She giggled along with them until she noticed Donatello lounging with his shell in the water nearby.

"You guys really love water, don't you?"

Donatello shifted, twisting from his backfloat to move closer toward April's position. He remained in the water there, looking up at her on propped elbows. "Of course. All of our kind does. Our villages, towns, and even our cities congregate around large bodies of water. It's our element, just like humans is land. Though, I wonder if your kind aren't so different from us. I've never seen a human move and even live on the oceans before. What was that like?"

April let out a breath. "It was a trip alright, but it wasn't too bad. I guess you could say my 'kind' have had years to perfect long distance travel. I definitely count myself lucky to live in the age of steam."

"I saw the components for one of those engines in the book you lent me. It's amazing how your people have constructed such contraptions." Donatello's eyes widened at the talk of these modern day inventions. His enthusiasm outweighed many of the Japanese peoples' own actually. "I'd give anything to see one, one day."

April bit the inside of her cheek. She wasn't sure how that dream could ever become a reality, but she was glad he was sated with the encyclopedias she gave as well as the maps and engineer papers she managed to borrow as well. Out of all the brothers, Donatello seemed the most interested in the finite details.

"Your turn, Donnie!" There came Raphael, popping out of the water and wrapping large arms around his brother's neck, hauling him back until he was completely baptized. Michelangelo was in the back with his head thrown back in laughter while April's dry dress became quite wet.

"Ah! Raph! I wasn't even ready!" Donatello struggled out of his brother's arms, upset scrawling across his face even as Raphael snickered just behind him, wading in the water without a care. "Uh, I got water all up my nose. What would happen if I drowned, huh? Yeah, you'd think twice about doing that again!"

Even in Donatello's complaints, Raphael only rolled his eyes, circling him in the water. "Really, Donnie? A kappa drowning another kappa?" He snorted. "That'll be the day."

Ignoring the frustration it would be to walk home soaking wet, April sat fascinated by how easily the three swam about and even wrangled each other in the water. The old tales of Kappa explained how they usually drowned their victims. The brothers could certainly be underwater for a substantial amount of time, as well as reach one point of the pond and then another with untimely speed. They were creatures definitely built for the element, but April wondered to herself if they were also made for darker purposes.

"April!" Michelangelo's call snapped April back to attention. He waved at her from the center of the pool. "Come on in! The water's great this time of year!"

For a split second an eerily image of a kappa drowning a human victim flashed into her mind. But the reservation was shooed away and shamed. April could never see the brothers like that. She trusted them too long to begin to fear them and their capabilities now.

With a smile, April stood up. There was no use saving the rest of her dress, and if it was destined to remain wet the rest of the day then so be it. With an excited breath, April jumped into the spring.

. . .

"You must control your breathing. Move slowly, feel your blood flow down your arms and into your fingertips. Yes, just like that. Shift your feet a little more. There. Now hold until your mind clears . . ."

Ienari eased his breathing, his hands before him as he bent his knees and steadied his position. His closed eyes opened, looking away from the humanly constructed home, and from the walled structure just thin enough to see the outline of a figure whose movement he was mirroring. Instead his blue gaze loomed into the distance, into his mind open before him and everything that weighed on it.

"Don't let the troubles control you. Take charge and rein in all that unbalances you."

The words came through and Ienari listened, he had been listening for years. This human, and this isolated abode was a destination he and his brothers visited for over forty years. Other humans came there to learn from this man, to let their souls hear his words and their bodies understand his movements.

In secrecy Ienari and his brothers comprehended human technique. Keeping their distance they learned human offense, but even in such destructive movement came peace of mind and rejuvenation, of which Ienari attempted to capture after all that has been happening in his and brothers' lives lately. So caught up in this meditation that he didn't hear someone approach behind.

"Now feel the chi in your core and settle it." The human moved, his arms falling until level with his abdomen. Ienari mimicked until he noticed a shadow just behind him.

Turning, Ienari met the larger form of his brother Raijirou, or Raphael as he's accepted. His stance mirrored, but his upturned smirk was anything but meditating in manner.

"Thought I'd find you here," Raphael said. From the distance they were, there was no fear of the human taking notice of them. He hadn't for almost fifty years, and both doubted he would the longer the years ran.

With a sigh, Ienari accepted the distraction and released his form. "Where are the other two?"

"At the pools," Raphael answered. "With April."

After a short moment Ienari asked, "How is she?"

There was a sparkle in Raphael's eyes, his smile curling even more. "Concerned for a human? That's unlike you. I mean there's the rat over there but even I've never heard you worry over him."

Ienari sighed, feeling his frustration rise. And it wasn't over Raphael, or even Donatello and Michelangelo, but more so over himself for going against the normalcy of their kind. But then again, the four of them never grew up "normal." So why did he insist on holding them, especially himself to those absurd standards?

"At ease, my students. Keep your composure and steady your stance, if you do that then nothing in this world will shake you." Both Ienari and Raphael turned to watch the human outline move. His words, while distant, were ever clearer.

Raphael nodded. "That's some advice I can get behind." His eyes turned to his brother expectantly.

After another sigh, Ienari relented. Yet, in his submission he could find no coil in his gut, nor throb in his skull that warned him against going to the pools and being close to the human. There she was, sitting on a bordering rock. Her hair was pulled back like a wet dark blanket, droplets drizzled down her pale skin, even her clothing was soaked, but her hand moved quickly across a piece of paper. In the midst of her dripping state and advent scrawl, she was smiling, eyes bright, especially when she turned toward him.

There was a look of surprise. It flashed for a moment across the entirety of her face, but a second later it was controlled away. Ienari could see its remnants in her eyes, those bright irises so very unlike the eyes of the humans he and his brothers were used to.

With no rejection of his presence from the human, Ienari settled into the scene. Michelangelo and Donatello both commented their enthusiasm for his arrival, Michelangelo quickly attempting to get him into a wrestle in the water. Despite April there amongst them, it felt almost normal. Ienari and his brothers had visited these pools so often in the past that coming there was second nature. It was their spot, their territory. To share it with someone else never crossed his mind—far be it that it would be a human.

But Ienari relented his judgement in favor to observe. April's comments, even her activities didn't seem at all to bother the other three. Even Raphael seemed to grow used to her. And there Ienari sat wondering if this was going to last. If these visits, these meetups, and this odd companionship would stand the test of time.

Michelangelo was obviously the most bold out of them all. He was constantly at her side, pushing at her, teasing her as he would a dear friend, as he would one of their kind. Donatello was the second boldest in that he held manners when approaching the human, very mindful of any way he touched her. He was mostly content with staring however, for a lot longer than Michelangelo could keep any amount of attention on. Raphael remained more distant, not as distant as Ienari obviously, but enough in respect to their budding relationship. Though, Ienari knew that when the human wormed her way into his tough brother's heart as she had somehow managed to do so to the others then Raphael would have no need to maintain further wariness out of acquaintanceship.

It was strange days they were living in. Unbelievable but truly amazing days.

Michelangelo was next to April, crouched down, shoulder constantly bumping into hers despite her protests. He was watching her draw. Ienari could see her frustration whenever his youngest brother poked at her work, asking her a variety of questions. Ienari still didn't understand her language too well, but even the likes of Michelangelo seemed to have the basics of it down. He was smiling at their conversation and quipping comments. Eventually he began to giggle. When he looked toward Ienari and then back at the human's work, and then back at him again with his hand over his mouth, Ienari understood the meaning behind that rise of chuckles.

Their youngest brother's bout attracted Raphael's attention to the point he moved in close. Curious eyes looked at what made Michelangelo so flustered and after a moment, even Raphael snorted a chuckle. When Donatello joined the trio, Ienari decided to ignore the lot of them, entertaining himself and letting the time pass with a stick in hand, drawling in the mud near the edge of the second pool. He was writing his brothers' names, the ones the human had given, in kanji, at least he was trying to. In the concentration of it all he hadn't noticed April move closer under her bare feet were standing near his writing.

Looking up, he watched as she offered him the paper in her hands. He didn't take it at first, looking toward his brothers quizzically before looking back and eyeing her and the gift she presented him. When he took it April's smile curled more and she said—

"Now I have the whole set."

As soon as his eyes roamed over the work, Ienari noticed the eyes looking back at him were very familiar. It was him. April had sketched him. Near the bottom was a poorly scribbled kanji of his name, but next to it was another form of writing.

"What is this?" He asked her, but it was Michelangelo who answered.

"It's your April name! It means she likes you."

Eyes turned back to the portrait. It was fascinating. April was very talented. No one's ever drawn him before and so often it was easy to forget what one looked like, but that was him. Wow.

"Leonardo." Ienari looked back up at April when she spoke. Her smile was kind, and the sparkle in her eyes made her countenance even more pleasant. "Out of them all, he's my favorite."

Even with her rough Japanese, Ienari was touched by her comments. A smile might have formed when he nodded and said, "Arigato."

It was like a phantom weight had lifted from Ienari's shoulders. Suddenly, the worries of these unusual circumstances vanished from his mind, and the reason to look for something to pass away the time around the human fluttered away. She was there, his brothers were there, he was there, and he was Leonardo.

The rest of the sunlit day was spent splashing at each other, drying off in the sun, and enjoying April's human cuisine, all of which Leonardo took part in.

"You know, April, these are good and everything, but do you think you could bring those pizza things again? Those . . . those were the absolute best," Michelangelo said with a mouthful of cream from the stuffed biscuits she brought.

"Alright, I will add that note to the other items I'll have to bring for you guys," she said as she jotted the reminder down on a smaller piece of paper and then stuffed it into one of her pockets. "Now that you've all helped yourselves, I've got to get going."

Michelangelo was the very first to complain with a drawn out moan. Habitual.

"It's getting late. My uncle doesn't like me being out after dark," April reasoned.

"Yeah, even our city has a curfew," Raphael commented.

April sighed. "You all talk about and describe the places you've been and where you live and it all sounds just out of this world, but now that I know you four I know it's right here after all . . . and I can't see it." She looked disappointed, but accepting. "These meetings are enough. Really. You're the only good friends I have and I hope we can see each other for as long as I'm here."

"How long will that be?" Donatello questioned, an edge in his tone that might be worry.

April simply rolled her shoulders. "I don't know, but I think it'll be for a while. So I look forward to see you all again soon." She pointed toward Michelangelo. "And I'll get those pizzaioloes of yours too."

In their parting they all walked back to the forest's edge with her. By the time they made it the sun was within moments of setting. April let out a huff at their poor timing, but she shrugged again and turned to look at them with a ready smile. "It's okay," she said. "I don't regret having all that fun with you four."

Moving away with her belongings she waved them off and there they stood watching as she moved into the streets and began following their pathways.

"You think her uncle's going to be mad?" Michelangelo questioned.

"From what I hear; he's quite kind and understanding," Donatello mentioned.

Raphael let out a huff of his own. "I just hope no creep pounces her before she gets back to her place."

"How far away does she live?" Leonardo looked to his brothers, the ones who've known her long enough that he expected would know and be able to tell him, but they looked at him with blank stares, and when the shrugs came he felt a strange sensation in his chest.

It was getting dark. They needed to get back home themselves.

"Alright, let's head home." Leonardo turned and nodded for them to do the same.

"Awww." Michelangelo looked back at the human city once more before slumping his shoulders and falling in line. "And here I was thinking you'd let us go see where April lived."

"Just get going," Leonardo said. "You know how long it takes to get back. We'll be lucky if we make it before torch lighting."

All three of his brothers reluctantly marched away. Leonardo would have followed them hadn't that sensation in his chest spurred him into dangerous territory where he hid himself quietly, stalking until he saw the path April took until she walked into the threshold of a quaint abode. He could see lit lamps in the windows and the faint muffles inside let the kappa know she was being greeted by that uncle of hers.

With safety verified, Leonardo moved away, sticking to the shadows until he was safe back in the forest, rushing after his brothers. By the time he caught up with them and accepted their questioning gazes that sensation in his chest was gone. And it never returned.

TeamB: Short, I know, but at least Leo's coming around. We all knew he would. ;)