Erika's journal
It's been almost two months since I came here. A month for Jimmy. I'm sure wherever mom and dad are they're happy we've found such nice friends. Not long ago we didn't have many.
I suppose the one that's had the most impact on us is Mike. Jimmy's formed an
unusual attraction to him. Like two dragonflies that can't stay still. So they
fly around together causing trouble. I might mind more. But I think Mike is
a good person for Jimmy to be around. He's light hearted, but he has many more
morals then the boys Jimmy used to play with. Play. That's the perfect word
for it.
To me, Mike's like a big brother now. I know he'll listen to about anything
I'll say, and let me go places with him. Sometimes I see him looking at me the
way the bad boys at the Y used to. But I know in him it's much less sinister.
I think it's a little flattering. And besides, it's nice having a pair of safe
arms to rest in sometimes.
It's interesting seeing him with his brothers sometimes. Most of the time he's
just a goof. With silly words. But sometimes he shows he's really just growing
up. It can be sort of odd seeing him like that.
Yesterday he kissed Maddie. No one knows quite why. I wonder if he does. As
soon as he got home though he became the little kid again. Running off to his
room to hid from Raph. There seems to be a secret memo amung the boys that says
Maddie is Raphs, and no one elses. Anyone who touches his property is going
to get a pounding. This seems to be what Mike is waiting for. He's been laying
as low as possible. I've hardly seen him all day.
Raph still hasn't come home yet. We're all worried. Except for Leo and Don.
They must know something we don't. I'm afraid he's hurt himself somewhere. No
one will go look though. I might ask Mike to later if I catch him. I don't think
he'll do it though.
Wish us hope Journal,
Erika
"So if you're working on a cabled network, sometimes it says that it failed to load the public n:/s files. Which means it doesn't sign you into the network, so you can't acess your programs."
"Can't you just reload the network cable?"
"Well, yes. But that means taking everything attached to it off line and rebooting. Then you half to load everything again. Eventually you'd have to do that, but usually you can just reboot the single problem unit."
"Oh." Donatello walked down the sidewalk with Noriko. Master Splinter had sent them out for supplies. The wish to make an escape from the harsh jives going on at home over came the wierd smells of china town today. Donatello thumbed through the bills in his pocket, checking over the change they had gotten back.
"What was that?" Donatello turned to the parking lot the sound had come from.
"Doesn't sound very friendly." Noriko wrapped her arms around herself.
"Stay back, I'm gunna check it out." Donatello jogged off to the alley and disapeared into it. Noriko followed him part way, standing outside the alley and looking in. "Oooooh boy." Donatello froze in his tracks. There was a giant winged beast clomping around the parking lot. It had a long snout and frightful grey wings tht stretched out at least the size of two mini vans each. Donatello began to step backwards, remembering he had forgot his gear. The bird caught site of him and began stomping towards him, crushing a car under it's talon. Donatello fumbled around, eventually grabbing an metal cross iron hidden under some boards. "Ha!" He waved it around in warning. The bird looked at him bewildered, then looked back over it's wing. There was a man standing at the other end of the parking lot. Don immediately recognized him from the man at the arboretum the day he had picked up Noriko and her grandfather. He waved the bird onward, and it turned back.
It tilted its head as it screetched. Donatello cringed. The cross-iron was picked out of his hands and thrown across the parking lot with a Wushhhhh. That can't be good. The bird turned back and tried to smack Donatello with its beak, batting at him with it's huge wings. Donatello began ducking and diving out of the way, the bird bumbling around him. He could hear the ~Clap~ of its beak shutting right behind him.
"Don-san!" Noriko ran into the parking lot.
"Noriko! Get out of here!" Donatello called, the collar of his coat being torn by a talon.
"Shizen Torimaku!" There was a crack of thunder and the sky clouded over. The bird looked around as the parkinglot was shrouded in darkness. There was another crack of thunder and the clouds disapeared. In Noriko's place was the elemental nature, already casting magic.
The bird crowed. The man at the end of the parkinglot had disapeared. Donatello pushed himself back onto his feet as the bird began charging towards Noriko.
"Tsuru enshuu!" The elf put it's hands up. The pavement began to crack and vines shot up from the ground beneath. The giant bird screetched as it was swiftly bound up, its talons hog tied. The vines began retracting, pulling the bird down. More bonds weaved out of the pavement cracks and held down its beak. The bird gurgled as a final few vines came out and helped hold it down. Donatello brushed himself off and jogged over.
"Now what are we going to do with it." He straightened his clawed coat. "…I wonder where it came from." He scratched his head.
"Delphus." The short elf responded promptly.
"Oh… yeah… so why's it here?" Donatello looked down at her. It shrugged. "Well. We need to do something with it."
"Menseki kaesu." The elf put its hands together. The bird began to glow. Donatello turned to watch, scratching his head. There was another crack of lightening and the sky clouded over.
With a burst of light the clouds were gone, so was the bird and the vines. All that was left were the long cracks in the pavement. Donatello crossed his arms.
"…not bad."
Raphael pushed open the doors of a smokey lounge and breathed in the cloudy air. Dark red tables were lerched over by brown derby drunks. The lights were dim and blues music was played from a stereo in the back. Raphael tipped his hat down and went up to the bar, saddling up on the stool.
The aging waitress came up to him behind the bar, pulling the note pad from the band of her black short shorts. She wore a tight cap sleeved halter top, stained by coffee and cigarettes, heavy bags under her eyes and her silvery blond hair held up in a hair net. A lonely cigarette hung off her bottom lip, the filter colored by bright red lipstick.
"Ye'." She looked at him blandly.
"Red dog." She nodded absently and went off down the bar. Raphael hunkered down in his coat and chipped at the counter edge with his nail. Under the plastic wood tile were several layers of sanded plywood, he noted. The dark bottle of beer was set in front of him and the waitress left again.
"No… feels kinda good actually." She smiled. Noriko knelt beside them both by the couch, tending to Donatello's foot bath.
"Good." Maddie smiled and rubbed his shoulders. Donatello sighed and leaned back.
"That's really good, Maddie. You should be a massuse or something."
"It's just a back rub."
"Very good… you've ever done this before?"
"Mmm… yeah." She said memoratically.
"What was it anyway?" Flash hopped onto the futon.
"I don't know." Donatello closed his eyes. "Saw that guy again through."
"Yeah, I saw him too." Noriko sat back on her legs.
"I hope I get to see some monsters." Flash grinned.
"I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of them." Donatello opened his eyes. "We should tell the others." The door opened right as the sentence left his mouth. Raphael stood in the door way and stared at his brother. "Uh…Raph."
"Raphael." Maddie sat up. "You're back!" His eyes shifted to her listlessly. "Are you ok? Where'd you go?"
"Where've you been all week, Raph?" Donatello asked. Raphael walked past them to the kitchen, their heads turning as he past. Maddie pushed herself off the couch and hurried after him.
"Raphael!" She closed the kitchen door behind her. Raphael leaned over into the refridgerator. "Where've you been? I was looking everywhere for you!"
"…Was out."
"Raphael, can we talk? I know your mad."
"…duh." He pulled out left over pizza and went to the stove.
"Raph, please," She put her hand on his shoulder. He shook her off and continued with his pizza. Maddie stepped back and looked at him. She put her hand on his shoulder and craned her neck to put her face in front of his. He backed away from her, finally meeting her eyes.
"Stay away from me."
"Raph can't we talk?"
"Go talk ta Mike."
"I want to talk to you."
"wanna talk ta you." He patronized her. Maddie bit her lower lip, leaning back against the stove.
"Raph, please. Just let me explain."
"You know who you can explain it to?" He went up to her, sticking his finger in her face. "…Them…" He pointed his other finger to the door. "Cause they're out there… and we're in here."
"Raph?"
"I don't want to hear it!" He threw his arms up.
"God, your breath reeks." She put her hand over her mouth and cringed. He put his arms back down.
"Least I found someone won't'll gimme iced tea."
"Oh god you're drunk."
"Yeah. So blow off…" Maddie sighed.
"I'll make some coffee. Splinter'll be home soon." She went past him to start some water.
"Hey," He grabbed her arm. "I don't want coffee. So lemme 'lone."
"Raph-"
"I don't want coffee and I don't want you." He threw her arm away. Maddie looked at him dismayed. He turned back around and left the kitchen. His head was so fuzzy. Why did Maddie have to be so bitchy all the time. Damn. He stumbled down the back hall to his room.
"Hello, wittle cutie!" Lita knelt in front of her gold fish, sprinkling in food flakes. "You're a cute little fishy! Yes you are… yes you are! …Uh oh…" She turned the bottle over in her hands. "We're outa fishy food." Goldie pecked at the flakes on the surface, ignoring her again. Lita set the bottle down and jogged out of her room. "Hey Mads! You wanna run out to the store?" She swung around into Erika and Noriko's room.
Maddie sat against the little refridgerator, nursing a tub of ice cream. Tears ran down her face, staining her cheeks.
"Maddie!" Lita ran over to her. "What's wrong?" She knelt beside her. Maddie choked back a sob, stirring the ice cream around.
"Raph hates me."
"Oh Maddie." Lita stroked her hair. "Raph doesn't hate you." Maddie nodded.
"Yes he does." She sucked on the spoon. "He's never going to speak to me again."
"Sure he is!" Maddie looked up at her, holding the spoon in her mouth. "Well… sometime." Maddie groaned. "Come on, you can't mope around here all day. Let's go out."
"Mmmm."
"I need to get some fish food. And you're out of ice cream." Lita looked into the ice cream tub.
"…kay."
"Come on." Lita grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet. Maddie wiped her eyes with the side of her hand as Lita dragged her out of the room.
They walked out of the sewers and up to the surface. Maddie's eyes started going down in puffiness. Lita continued to chatter on while they made there way to the supermarket. It seemed to be pulling her out of her funk… when they ran smack dab into the Traveler. Maddie gasped, and Lita shrieked.
Neither could move as he reached up and pulled of a pair of sleek sunglasses off. He had cutting light grey eyes, tiny flakes of white slivered inside. Plus he was kind of hot. But he didn't have to say anything, Lita already trembled under his eyes.
"H- wha… U- What are you doing here! What do you want?!" Maddie snapped out of it first. But he didn't turn to her. Instead he stared down at Lita, slowly reaching into his shirt. "Hey!" Maddie demanded his attention. He pulled out a strange necklace from beneath his shirt. Lita didn't move. She just looked into the crystal, her face a blank stare. "Lita… Lita!" Maddie shook her arm. The Traveler held the crystal out, letting it dance around on the hanging chain from his fingers. Maddie could make out 4 crystal quarters put together to make 1 sphere. Two crystals glowed brighter then the others. A blue and red crystal. The blue was beginning to outshine the reds, Lita's breath was slowing. The crystal finished it's spin slowly, then started around again in the other direction, untwisting, then twisting the chain around again. "Lita! Snap out of it!" Maddie shook her arm violently. The Travelers hand flicked and Maddie went flying into a fence.
Lita opened her mouth, taking slow breaths, like she was trying to taste the air. Maddie slumped from the fence onto her knees, and nearly fell on her face. She wouldn't be much help after that. A fine mist began to drift out between Lita's lips, like a clowns gauzy hankerchief that was running slowly along an invisible thread, being blown by the wind, but never straying off course. The crystal on the chain began glowing brighter as the mist drew closer. Lita's eyes started dulling in color, as if the pigment was draining right out of them.
The stream of mist was disrupted as Leonardo suddenly appeared between the two, and streamed back into Lita. His katana was held up in front of him. One edge just touching the edge of his beak, the other, sharper, edge nearly touching the tip of the Travelers nose. The crystal spun and flailed wildly with the commotion. The Travelers eyes dilated and thinned.
"Sir Leonardo." He placed the necklace back beneath his shirt.
"You shouldn't have come here."
"Should I?" He flicked his fingers again, Lita collapsed to the ground. Leonardo glanced around, then back again, relizing the distraction. The Traveler grinned, having nearly faded into disapearence. Leonardo sneered and made a swip with his sword, and he was gone.
Leonardo stroked the side of his cheek with his finger. The tiny hairs of his goatee ruffled up. His skin was a smooth shade of black, his hair now a distinguished white. He liked it that way. He looked all the more like his lordship. His face swirled around and streaked. Leonardo looked up to see the reservoir funneling down in the whirlpool. He knelt on the concrete walk to watch, not wanting to disturb his student. She won't be your student much longer, old man. He felt the anger rise then fall, suceeding to the sight of his nymph catching his eyes.
He remember when he chose her. She was a little civilian toddler at the back then. The matrix ran the institute at the time, and he had to spirit her out in the night. There had been many nights since then they had to repeat the process to avoid capture. As always, she had been by his side.
Lita had grown into an extraordinary power. It was rumored she could drain the ocean of Kerdad if she so wished. Academic of course. Now she could only spend her days siphoning water in and out of the reservoir. Her 300 birthday had just past, so she was still young in that respect. Despite any naivety, she was quickly becoming an important leader for the court. He was proud. She shared his rebelious spirit… and someday his bed.
Leonardo rolled a small gem around between his fingers and flicked it into the water. Only a few moments later Nymph smiled and held the little crystal up. Leonardo smiled.
"Well." The whirpool began to slow. Nymph rose back to his plane as the surface level returned. "You do not cease in making impressions." Leonardo glided out onto the water. Nymph smiled and tossed him the gem. "I might have ask you refrainment." "Making impression?" "It seems…. I am no longer adaquete. I am pleased by you with such ease"
"This is wrong?"
"True." He brushed the hair off her shoulder. "The council is wary of our days as of late. They have given you to another of the court?" Nymph turned her back on him and crossed her arms.
"…I see."
"Beloved." He came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.
"You would free me so easily?" She closed her eyes.
"You know I would not. You know that I mustn't quarrel with the kings tongue. Lest a hand upon both our backs" He rested his face in her long lusterous hair. "You won't forget what I've taught you?"
"Oh Leonardo." She sighed. "…I don't want this…Why is it so hard for us." He pushed his lips against the side of her neck.
"Someday… we'll be together." Leonardo turned her around to face him. "I promise." He pushed his lips against hers. "I promise …I'll give you my heart, and protect you as long as eternity endures." She looked up into his dark eyes. "Someday…"
Leonardo woke quietly with the feeling of being watched. It was the middle of the night, his room was dark. Peaches lie on his stomach, purring in his sleep. Leonardo opened his eyes and looked up at the silouhette in the doorway. He rolled his eyes.
"What do you want, Lita."
"You're awake?" Leonardo propt himself up on his elbows.
"Yes. What are you doing in my room."
"How long have you been awake?"
"None of your business, now what do you want before I kick you out." Lita sighed, as if saying 'I can't believe this.' "I need to talk to you."
"And you couldn't wait till morning?"
"Jeez, don't you want to know what a need to talk to you about?!" Leonardo rolled his eyes.
"Fine. What do you need to talk to me about."
"Raph and Maddie."
"Hah. That's a laugh." Peaches woke with a little jolt. "Let me guess… you want me to talk to Raph for Maddie." Lita put her hands on her hips.
"It wasn't like you were my prime candidate, you know. It's not like I want to ask for your help."
"But you're here." Peaches got up and stretched his back.
"Against all logic." Lita rolled her eyes.
"It's cracks like those that make me not want to help you." Leonardo countered.
"No!" She ran over to his bedside and dropped to her knees, putting her hands on the edge of his matress. "Please please please!" Leonardo looked down at her in astonishment. Was she actually begging for his help? This is good. "You've got to talk to Raph, you're the only one he'll listen to!"
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, think about it. He's not talking to Maddie. He won't listen to me, or the other girls. He'd knaw off Mike's head if he came with a 100 yards, and Don… well… Don's a wuss." Leonardo furrowed his brow. "No offense I mean! Don's a great guy and I love him ta death, but he'd never talk to Raph. …Which leaves…"
"Me."
"Yeah. So could you please talk to Raph?" She asked, her eyes pleading. He held his tongue so he would say yes.
"Why should I help you."
"For god sakes, Leonardo. Did it ever occur to you that I'm not asking for myself?! Raph's gone nuts, Maddie's a mess. They're not going to talk it out. Please…" Leonardo looked down. "I'll do anything, I'll do your chores for a month, I won't kick you in the shins, I won't call you princess leianardo-"
"I don't remember you calling me princess leianardo."
"…whoops."
"Alright. I'll talk to Raph… under certain conditions. That is, you're going to be a studious and responsible student. You won't kick me, or be childish durring practice. And you're going to keep your room clean."
"My room's clean." He gave her a look. "…pretty much. I can't do all that though."
"No deal then."
"Come on, I'm being practical here! I'm not going to make a promise I know I won't keep."
"Sorry." Lita groaned.
"…Fine." She pushed herself back to her feet. "thanks anyway." She turned and left. Leonardo watched her go.
"…wait." Lita stopped in the doorway and turned back. "…you'll be better durring practice?" She nodded vigerously. "…Okay then."
"Yay!" She cheered. "Thank you so much!"
"But stay out of my room in the future." He added quickly.
"Fine by me!" Peaches lept off the end of the bed and into Lita's arms. "Night!" She chirped before running out of his room. Leonardo sighed and fell back on his pillow.
Morning
"Anata fushin yoo anatagata no otoosan."
"Ojiisan, doozoo! Watashi iru nai fushin yoo shoku to." Noriko sat on the foot of her grandfathers bed as he prepared tea.
"Anata suru*"
"Watashi shitte iru sore. Hon no hyotto suru to… watashi motsu hitotsu shokugyoo. Onajiyoo na hitotsu 'botonist*."
"Hitotsu 'botonist'*"
"Shosite watashi suru nai motsu made iru kekkon suru achira ni desu kara wakai*."
"Hah!"
"Ojiisan, doozoo wakaru? Watashi suru-nai ketsuboo iru hon no hoka no tsuma ya okaasan. Naze dekiru-nai watashi deru tamesu seken no ue ni watashi no jubin no*?"
"Watashi shitte iru naze anate-iru kono hoohoo… Donatello… kare-iru ippai ni naru anata no atama konna an-to*."
"Desu kara dono moshi kare*."
"Tadashi-nai! Watashitachi-o daihyoo shite-nai. Heikin no-nai*." Grandfather turned on her sharply.
"…um…" They both turned to the doorway. Donatello stood nervously. "I thought mabye you'd want to go to the arboretum for some practice." Noriko turned to her grandfather.
"… Ojiisan*?" But he had turned away already. "To shoodaku dekiru moshi watashi deru ima?*"
"…"
"…Ojiisan*?"
"Deru… dare aru watashi hankoo ni hoohoo no zenshin*." Noriko slid off the bed and joined Donatello. Grandfather sighed under his breath after they left and gave a sideways glance to the doorway.
Maddie wiped away the tears around her eye and sighed. She stood atop one of the dirty building across from her old home. Night had set in with a balmy breeze. She brushed her hair out of her face and sighed.
"Maddie." She spun around. Raphael emmerged from the shadows. No telling how long he had been watching her again.
"Raphael." Her eyes brightened. "What are you doing here?"
"Thought you might want to… you know… talk." He shrugged.
"I do."
"…kay."
"Look, Raph. I want you to know that that kiss with Mike didn't mean anything. It just… happened."
"Just happened?"
"Of course. It didn't mean anything." Why the hell did she have to do this anyway? She felt like such an idiot acting like this. Then again, she didn't want to break things off with Raph over something so stupid. Damn it Mike. Can't keep his lips to himself.
"Anything." He repeated.
"Raph …You're the only one I care about. Really. I- I would never do anything to hurt you." He looked at her. "You mean so much to me, Raph …Raph?" She could feel her heart tightening in caution. It seemed so easier to go on playing this kind of game, maybe let the entire relationship dwindle. But she was so afraid of losing him, now that he had found him. Dark clouds drifted about sky listlessly, occasionally shrouding the half moon.
Raphael came up to Maddie and took her face in his hands. He leaned down and kissed the remaining tears off her cheeks. She whispered his name once before his lips reached hers.
Michelangelo rocked back and forth on his board, watching Flash zip off the end of the skate ramp. He grabbed the end of his board and did a rodeo twist before he landed back down again on the pavement.
"Check that!" Flash grinned, skating around to see Michelangelo.
"Sweetness." Mike nodded aproovingly.
"Hey Erika! See that?" Flash looked to his sister, sitting on the sidelines of the skate park, beading a necklace.
"Jimmy, you're going to kill yourself one of these days." She didn't look up. Flash cheered and skated off out of the way.
"Your turn." He looked up at Mike. Mike grinned and skated around in a circle.
"Look out below!" He pushed himself off the platform and onto the ramp. The trench coat flapped around him in the wind, as did the tails of his bandana. It looked almost comical. A giant turtle shooting down a skating ramp in a big brown trench coat. Michelangelo hit the end of the ramp and flew into the air. He immediately grabbed the end of his board and flipped around in the air. Flash whistled as he came back down onto the pavement. "Yeah, sweetness!" Mike breathed deeply. "Hey Erika! Catch that?"
"You're all insane." She ruffled the beads gathered in her skirt. Mike laughed, wheeling around on his board.
"We're gunna get you back on that board, you know." Erika smirked and nodded. "We are!"
"Sure Mike."
"Hey Mike, check this out." Flash skated over to a vine that had lurched out of the brush onto the pavement. "Look! It's moving!" He sat down on his haunches in front of it. The vine squirmed over the blacktop like a worm, heart shaped leaves unfurling slowly.
"Jimmy! Get away from that!" Erika jumped up, beads scattering over the pavement. Mike stumbled a few steps before he broke into a run for Flash. But it was too late. The next second the vine jolted forward and wound itself around Flash's closest leg. He screamed as he was lifted up above the tree tops. "Jimmy!" Erika to where Mike had been lifted off, Mike right beside her.
"AAAAAAAAAA!" He waved his arms around, his sunglasses came tumbled down and shattered on the ground. "HOLY MOTHER FUCK!!"
"Hold on Flash!" Mike called.
"Not a problem."
"Try to find a ladder, I'll deal with the plant," Mike said to Erika, following the vine to the base of the plant.
"Mike," He turned and looked over his shoulder, Erika had already transformed into the fairy and hovered beside Flash.
"Oh. Right." She began tugging on the cords around Flashes ankle, Mike grabbed a rock and dropped to his knees, pounding on the vine. Nothing drastic happened from the efforts however, the plant only tightened its hold around Flash. "Damn it…" Mike muttered. "Why-won't-you-die?" He slammed the chunk of pavement into the vine's girth. Above him Flash continued to struggle, a stream of pocket change and pieces of trident falling to the ground. The fairy simply couldn't get a hold on the vine, her hands too small to grasp around the ever widening plant. Mike raised the rock up again.
On the other side of the vine two shoes suddenly appeared. Two shined black shoes, beneath black trousers, neatly ironed and tailored. Mike looked up slowly. Long white hair, tied back in a pony tail, and a deep purple shirt. Black mirrored glasses shaded his eyes. He looked down at Michelangelo, his hands held behind his back. Mike looked into the sunglasses, looking for some sign of his eyes behind the glass. Now he couldn't look away, it was like looking into a flame, and he couldn't pull his eyes back.
The man reached around to the hilt of his belt and began to pull a long curved sword from thin air. He brought it all the way out and levied it horizontally at chest level. The side of his mouth perked up. He slowly began changing the hand hold he had on the hilt, ready for a sideways swipe.
Michelangelo slammed the rock down, missing the vine, but hitting his shoe. There was a brief resistance of the matter, then it simply disapeared. The man was gone the next second, and the vine turned brown. Flash screamed on his way back down to the pavement, then all was black.