"Stop talking and concentrate."
"But this place is so quiet. It's bugging the hell out of me."
"Tough shit. Be quiet or I'll push your face in the sand." Leonardo shot Lita a warning look. She sat next to him just in the shoreline, far away from where his brothers were staying. Lita grumbled to herself and set her chin on her arms, crossed over her knees. Leonardo closed his eyes and turned back to the ocean. The water began to bubble and spiraled up into a water levithan, a tall sea snake. Lita smirked as it twisted around and revealed its razor sharp teeth. She made it careen forward and stop a few feet in front of Leonardo's face, baring its teeth.
"If you're trying to scare me it won't work." He said softly. Lita furrowed her brow and turned to him, his eyes still closed. The snake stuck its tongue out and melted into the ocean with a splash. "Concentrate and stop making water monsters." Lita set her chin back on her arms.
"Orokashii jaaku*." He heard her mutter.
"I didn't know you could speak japaneese." He turned to her.
"I asked Noriko to teach me that." She grinned and turned to him.
"Didn't I just say not to speak?"
"Ah-" He put his hand on the back of her head and pushed it into the wet sand with a deft motion. Her words were muffled in the sand. She grabbed his wrist with both hands and pulled it away, mostly because he let her. Lita pulled herself back onto her knees and stood up, spitting out the sand. Sludgy sand covered her face and dripped from her chin, some sopped into her hair. Leonardo put a hand over his mouth, trying not to laugh. "You big jerk!" She wiped the sand from her face frantically. "I can't believe what a blockhead you are!" She scooped the sand away from her eyes. Leonardo cracked up laughing, putting his hand to his head. Lita glared at him. "I hope you fall on your shell and can't get up you mean nasty turtle!" She kicked sand at him. He grabbed her foot and pushed her back. Lita fell back on her butt in the sand, quite startled. This caused Leonardo to roar, falling back as well in the sand. She glared at him and pushed herself back to her feet. "Jerk." She ran off into the ocean indignantly. Leonardo held his stomach, tears coming to his eyes. Lita dove into the waves and disapeared under the surface.
Leonardo wiped the tears away, the laughter subsiding. "Oh man… you should've seen the look on your face…Hey Lita…" He called. "Come on, we still have work to do." He propted himself up on his elbows. "…Lita?" He looked out over the calm ocean. There were a few small waves that lapped up onto the shore, then shrunk away again.
No sound… god damn it.
"Come on, this isn't funny." He sat up. "Lita, I'm serious." He said, his voice stern. "…fine.' I'm sorry, alright?" …no response. He stood up, afraid of what Splinter might say if he didn't return with his Chiisai kirameki yuri "I'll stop calling you bratty… promise." Man…
…A few ripples broke to the surface. Leonardo crossed his arms. Lita rose up so she stood on the water. She crossed her arms and looked off, water cascading as elegantly as possible down her front. "…really?" She turned to him.
"Yeah… can we just get back to work and stop messing around?" She looked off. "…guess." She pushed off with her foot and slid across the water to the beach. Leonardo sighed and went back to where they had been sitting.
Donatello moved his marshmallow around over the soft fire. Mike was still grinning at him after her had confessed to having gone to find Noriko and succeeded in wandering into her trap and been nearly swallowed by a tree. The others sat around the fire Maddie had made, the moon high in the sky. Minus of course Leonardo and Lita. Flash had gone for one more late night surf before they all fell asleep. Raphael took his marshmallow out of the fire and blew out the flames on it. Erika sighed and laid back in the sand. Donatello had jerry rigged a clothes line to dry out her clothes by the bluffs. She had retrieved her wrap around skirt, hooking it up to hang off her hips.
"You know what we need? A scary story." Michelangelo noted.
"Pfffff, not one of your stories." Raphael rolled his eyes.
"Hey!" Rapahel smirked.
"No offense, but 'the little zombie bunny, flop-flop, that had to eat brusell burgers' didn't quite cut it last time."
Donatello chuckled, taking his marshmallow out of the fire. Michelangelo grumbled and pulled the charred pieces of the marshmallow off and ate them. "Ey Mads," He stuck the rest of the marshmallow in his mouth. "Why doncha get out the guitar?" Raphael smirked and turned to Maddie. Her entire face turned red, she looked at her knees.
"No way."
"Aw, come on Mads." Raphael prodded.
"I'll go get it!" Mike jumped up. Maddie groaned and hid her face in her hands.
"I didn't know you could play." Noriko turned to her.
"Dear god." She muttered. Raphael smiled and leaned back on his elbows.
"Here we go!" Michelangelo ran back and handed her the guitar. "Let's here some tunes." He grinned. Maddie took the guitar grudgingly.
"Man…" She started tinkering with the cords.
"What do you know?" Mike asked, sitting down again and wrapping his arms around his knees.
"Why doncha play that song about the guy that lied." Maddie glared at Raphael. The fire flared up quickly. She turned back to the guitar and ran her fingers over the cords. Erika sat back up.
"What guy?" Mike asked. Don looked up, poking the fire. Maddie sighed, silencing them all…
Deep in my soul
Love so strong
It takes control.
Now we both know
The secrets bared
The feelings shown
Driven far apart
I'll make a wish
On a shooting star
There will come a day.
Somewhere far away
In your arms I'll stay
My only love.
Even though you're gone
love will still live on
The feeling is so strong
My only love
There will come a day.
Somewhere far away
In your arms I'll stay
My only love.
You've reached the deepest part
Of the secret in my heart
I've known it from the start
My only love
There will come a day.
Somewhere far away
In your arms I'll stay
My only love.
My only love.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Leonardo sat in the shoreline, watching the waters' horizon. The moon cast a bright light on the black water. He sighed. "Hey Lita… why don't we head back to camp. There's nothing else we can do tonight." He looked over his shoulder. Lita was curled up in the sand fast asleep. He looked down then back out to the ocean. The tide washed up around his ankles softly. "……damn it......I've got to stop this…" He looked out at the ocean. "…It isn't right.... for me to think this way……" The surf sloshed back.
A few ripples broke to the suface, off in the distance. Close enough for him to notice. Leonardo looked up. The bubbling began to rise up. An image rose up from the ocean, pouring up like Litas snake. But this, this was a woman. She held her arms out, water running down in sheets. She wanted him to come to her. She wanted to soothe his trepidition. Wanted to soothe him. Leonardo stood up. The water came in around his feet and slid him out onto the surface. He was standing on top of the water, gliding towards the woman at an improbable rate. She smiled and held her arms out to him. Leonardo came into her, she wrapped her arms around him tenderly, water dripped down his shell. She smiled. A slobbery nose brushed his beak. A brief notion to warning entered, not before she crushed her lips against his. He began to fight. First intending to wound her away, it soon became a struggle to escape a vice like hold. Water was filling his lungs, was he underwater now?
The restraints eventually loosened, he wriggled free. Faces appeared and disapeared before him in the water as he dropped farther and farther to the ocean floor. Shit! He reached back to grasp his sword. His arm was knocked away with a violent current. Water forced itself down his throat. Leonardo coughed, spirling down into drarkness. His lungs stung for air, water pressure closing in on him. He squinted up to the fading surface. It seemed like a dark cloth drifted over his eyes, his ankles being dragged down……
A hand grabbed onto his wrist. Leonardo opened his eyes slowly as he was pulled up again to the surface…
Flash yawned and rolled onto his side. He opened his eyes and smiled. Maddie was next to him, still asleep. She was still partially dressed in her suit, her hair spread out in the sand. He edged closer to her slyly.
"Careful there, Romeo." He turned and looked down the beach. Raphael stood out on the beach watching him. He seemed to get pissed as he moved closer to Maddie.
"What?" "……Girls are pretty cranky in the morning." He turned and went back down to the water.
"Excuse me?" He turned back. Noriko folded up her towel. Raphael smirked and shrugged.
"Here." Donatello took the towel from her and laid it on the others, stacked on the cooler. Michelangelo yawned and stretched his arms out. His head was still propped up on Erikas stomach, it took some work to get his attention. "Mike, get up." Mike sqinted agitatedly and looked over at Donatello. "Time ta pack up."
"Yeah, yeah." Mike yawned and sat up.
"Where's Leo and Lita?" Flash sat up as well. Michelangelo looked around.
"Dunno."
"…You think they…" Flash smirked. Donatello nearly laughed.
"Better guess is Leo strangled her." He folded another one of the towels. "Uh.... someone better go check on them."
Leonardo coughed and turned onto his side. He groaned and brought his hand up to his head. Sand wiped off over his face. He flicked the last of it off his hand and wiped his face with the side of his arm. Jesus… He cracked an eye open. The sun brightened the white sand and warmed his skin. He could hear the gentle roar of the ocean behind him, and the smell of salty air. His head was propted up on something… something soft. He lifted his head up and looked back. What appeared to be Lita's jean shorts were wrapped in a blue tee shirt, folded into a neat square. He put his hand over it and looked back over his shoulder.
Lita sat by the shoreline, her arms folded over her knees. Leonardo groaned under his breath as he pushed himself onto his knees. His head throbbed. Lita turned her head around and pulled herself to her feet.
"Jeez, you always sleep this late?" She walked up to him. Leonardo brought himself up to stand. "…How do you feel."
"I'm fine."
"You're such a bad liar."
"Here." He reached down and picked up the clothes. "Put your clothes back on." He tossed her the shirt and jeans. She grabbed them akwardly and looked down at her bathing suit. "Come on, we were supposed to be back last night." He brushed past her on his way down the beach.
"Hey!" Lita called, jogging after him while pulling on her shorts. "What, you nearly die and suddenly your off to fight another day? What are you?"
"A ninja." She rolled her eyes.
"Well don't I get a 'thank you' or something? I did save your life you know." She buttoned her shorts quickly, catching up with him.
"Lita. It's your duty to save people. Don't expect a royal banquet everytime to do a good deed." He mumbled after a hesitant moment.
"Aw, you're just pissed there's something hanging over your perfect little head." She pulled the shirt over her head and dusted off the sand.
"Hardly."
"S'cuse me?"
"I'll just consider last night a a repayment."
"On what?" He turned his head to her. "Oh… right." He nodded and turned back. "……So…who was that chick anyway?"
"Who?"
"The one that tried to drown you."
"I don't know."
"How'd you walk on water?"
"I don't know."
"How come you couldn't swim up on your own?"
"I don't know."
"Jeez, there's a lot you don't know." She chuckled. There's a lot I'm going to smack you upside the head for. Leonardo glanced over at her. Lita smiled to herself, walking along beside him. She ran her fingers through her hair.
"…why'd you come out, anyway."
"Pffffff. What did you expect me to do?… After a few minutes I figured you weren't coming back up."
"Oh."
"Plus the others would be mad if I lost you." He turned and glared at her. "Been thinking about getting a leash for you or something. Hey guys!" Lita called, waving, as they approached the other side of the beach. Michelangelo waved back enthusiastically.
"Lita, I'd like it if you didn't tell the others about last night."
"Why…" Lita smirked. "You don't want your prestine reptation to be tarnished?"
"Can we just be mature about this." Lita scoffed.
"What are you insinuating? I can be mature!"
"Proove it." She glared at him. He had trapped her.
"Hey guys!" Mike ran up to meet them. "What took ya?"
"We were workin' late and decided just to stay instead of waking everyone up." Lita shrugged, not skipping a beat. "Whatever." Mike shrugged. "We're loadin' the van, hope ya got everything." He turned and jogged back. Leonardo looked down at Lita.
"Should I be surprised at how easy you do that."
"Live with it. By the way, you should probly take it easy for the next few days."
"Why's that."
"Ten to one you got the bends, which would explain any headache you have right now."
"What are 'the bends'." He said tolerantly.
"You get it from coming back to the surface too fast after being too far under water. Scuba divers get it. It's usually cramps and throwing up. Which for me is the reward for dragging your fat shell up the beach." She smiled.
"Yeah. Like I believe that."
"No, seriously. Your shell is really fat. I mean god."
The dim lights from the parking lot made Don squint, faint from the lamp posts against the walls. Michelangelo didn't seem to mind. He skated around the empty lot with Flash, oblivious to any obstructions beneath them. It was the mid morning hours, they hadn't stopped for breakfast on their way back. Raphael pulled his bag over his shoulder and leaned against the van. Leonardo had gotten his things and waited in the shadows by the sewer grating, his shoulders hunched over. Erika helped Donatello with the ropes around the ski rack, trying to untie the masterful work Mike had done tying his surfboard to the roof.
"Ugh. I can't believe I'm saying this. But as soon as we get home I'm going straight to bed." Lita yawned, getting an envious look from Leonardo from her freedom of movement. She twirled the key chain around on her finger absently as Donatello finished getting everything down. As soon as they started the drive back it was apparent how sore Leonardo had become. Although he tried to disguise it, the bumpy ride was terrible for him. At any sudden jolt he sucked in air and buckled down. For the first two miles it was fun, after that Lita felt terrible. She could never show it though. She was actually surprised that no one else seemed to notice.
"Hey Mike! Let's go! I'm not going to carry this thing home." Don leaned the board against the van. Leonardo leaned down and pried the grating off. Don picked his bag and and joined him.
"Hey Maddie! We're going." Erika called, jogging after him. Raphael adjusted his bag over his shoulder and looked into the back. Maddie slept on her back against the right wall, her hair spilled out over the lime green shag carpet.
"Maddie, we're home." Raphael climbed into the van and crawled up to her. "Maddie…" He shook her shoulder. She grimaced slightly and turned her head to the wall. " Hey, come on." He shook her again. She turned her head back, but didn't stir. "Jeez."
"Hey Raph, come on!" Donatello called.
"I'm comin'!" Raphael looked out of the back, then turned back to Maddie. He put one hand between her and the wall and leaned over her. "Maddie, wake up already." He put his hand on her forehead to see if she had a fever or something. …Then the princess was put under a magic spell, and couldn't be woken till the kiss of a handsome prince. Many years past before a noble prince rode up to the royal palace and freed the beautiful princess with a kiss. There was a grand celebration and they all lived happily ever after… Splinters words drifted through his mind. That was one of the few american fairy tales he still remembered being told them when he was young. Raphael slid his hand from her forhead down around the back of her neck, her hair winding around his fingers. He leaned towards her, tilting his head slightly. He tipped her chin back…
"Dude! My board got totally thrashed!" Mike picked his board up, examining the scratches the sand had made. Raphael sat up quickly, jerking his hand away. Maddie yelped and sat straight up, grasping the back of her neck. Mike looked in the van and laughed. "Hey Mads!"
"Ow…" She rubbed her neck. "Raphael pulled my hair out." She grimaced. Raphael looked at the few long red hairs weaved around his fingers.
"Whoops."
"Way ta go!" Mike laughed sarcastically.
"Yeah, thanks." Maddie muttered. Raphael cleared his throat.
"Come on, we're goin'!" Mike called. Maddie grabbed her bag and crawled out of the van.
"You're going to wake up someday with a pile of slugs on your face, Raphael." Maddie muttered as she passed him.
"Ooo. I'm terrified." He went out after her.
"And then we went surfing! And then we went to get the fish! And then we went down the river tunnel! And then Raphael hit me with the fish and it swam away! And then-"
"Mike, will you shut up already?" Raphael sighed. Mike looked up briefly, kneeling in front of Master Splinter's chair. He made a face at his brother and turned back.
"So then we made a fire, and there was all this seaweed on the beach and Noriko made a burger thing out of it and ate it and it was really weird! And now I'm going to get something to eat." Splinter smiled and nodded. Mike jumped up and ran off to the kitchen.
"Leonardo-san. You do not look well." Splinter looked to his eldest son. Leonardo grimaced as he hung his coat up. "Your trip been more trying for you then your brothers?"
"Yes, Master Splinter."
"Why do I feel this has little to do with the training of Lita."
"No, it's not." Splinter nodded.
"You should rest, my son." Leonardo turned to him and bowed painfully.
"Yes, Master Splinter." He passed by him to his room.