Chapter 11

"What the hell happened back there?" Leo said angrily, kicking rocks into the blue rush of the stream.

"Er...a reverse rescue?" offered Mike, "you know...where the rescuer gets captured and the captured ones get away?"

"Jesus, Mike," Don said, panting. "How can you joke about this?"

Mike stopped walking and looked at the sandy bank, dipping one bulbous green toe into the water. The turtles had jogged all night to get away from the Palace. For a good hour they could hear the crash of legions through the brush after them, the wild calls back and forth between the warriors, the occasional thunk of an arrow into a tree trunk around them as they made their way through the thick growth. Slowly, the sounds died away until they blended with the many night sounds of this strange planet. Eventually, the strange calls became those of birds and the sounds of feet became indistinguishable from the whoosh of wind through the great jungle canopy overhead. They traveled on for hours, not trusting to slow down until they had put many miles between themselves and the Palace. But the thought that haunted them all was that was that those miles now separated them from April and Raphael.

Now it was early morning, and the purpling sky filtered through a gorgeous, thick mist that rose up from the stream like an exhalation. They had followed the stream for the past hour silently, but now it seemed as if the nervous energy had worn itself thin and they would have to confront what had happened the night before.

Mike continued to stare into the water and said nothing. Don walked up next to him. "I'm sorry Mike...I know you're upset...we all are."

Leo stood on the other side of his brother, flexing his fists in frustration. "Of course we're upset. Like I said, what happened? How did we get separated from Raph and April, and...why was she acting so...so weird?"

There was an uncomfortable silence. Don began slowly, "Well, she really seemed bent on saving Shred-head..."

"What did that asshole do to her?" cried Leo. "Brainwash her? Threaten her? April's always hated Shredder more than us! She never understood why we didn't just kill him!"

"But she did understand, eventually," Don reminded Leo. "From talking with Splinter over the years, she understood that to murder was to become him, become evil...he had to be defeated in other ways. Hell, Leo! You were always the one staying Raph's hand, you were always the one reminding him of that."

There was another long silence. Mike finally glanced warily at Leo, "I heard her say something about an oath..."

"I don't know what she was talking about!" snapped Leo. He turned and walked away, muttering. "Making an oath with Shredder..."

Don and Mike glanced at each other, and then Don decided to get to the core of the issue. "Leo...maybe she was right. A lot has happened since we've come here...Shred-head was pretty badly injured, and you made sure we patched him up and dragged him along with us. You kept insisting it was the right thing to do. Which it was. I mean, Master Splinter taught us to protect life, all life, including one as worthless as Saki's. But after we got to the Palace...I don't know...we kind of forgot that. Maybe April was right. Maybe it was the wrong thing to do, to agree to give him over to that awful woman..."

Leo spun on his heels, his eyes flashing. "Why should we save him!? Why should we risk one ounce of our blood on that worthless piece of crap? How many times has he hurt us? How many times has he hurt our friends? He'll just keep doing it, too! We can't stop him unless he's dead!"

"Dude," Mike said. "But that's so not the point. If Master Splinter was here..."

Leo gripped his sword and stormed up to his brother, knocking the blade into the sand. "Don't tell me what Master Splinter would do! Maybe he was wrong...just about this...this one thing."

Mike and Don glanced each other again, and Don spoke, "Look, brother, I know we're in some whacked out dimension with some really whacked out rules, and we all want to just go home...but, that doesn't mean we give up our values."

"Ditto," said Mike firmly, drawing his shoulders up firmly.

Leo's eyes bulged as he looked from face to face, the rage shaking his body. And then, as if the very breeze whisked his anger away, his shoulders sagged, and he lowered his eyes, covering them with a shaking hand. "God...I...I know you're right....I just...I hate him so much. I thought we could just get rid of him. It wouldn't have been our fault...it just seemed easy...but," he sighed, looking up and straightening his shoulders. "Easy is not always right...as Master Splinter has said so many times...man, what have I done?"

"You?" Don said, smirking. "Don't take all the credit! I want full participation in our plot to get rid of can-head, darn it!"

"No doubt, dude," Mike said, laughing. "For one brief moment, we almost had the freakazoid wrapped."

Leo smiled weakly, appreciating his brother's support, but still feeling deep inside that he had let his anger and pain compromise his reasoning.

"All of this still doesn't explain April," Don said firmly.

"Dude! What was that!?" Mike chimed in, frowning. "I mean...she was CRYING...over Shredder!"

Somehow this topic was even more complicated than the last, and Mike's comment hung uncomfortably in the air. Each of them mulled over April's seemingly over-emotional outburst, and quietly tried to put away all the unthinkable thoughts that accompanied them.

"I guess we'll just have to leave that on the shelf for the moment," Leo said, crossing his arms, regaining his composure and feeling that it was time to get down to business. "What's at hand is getting back to the Palace...and getting them out...ALL out, if it is possible."

"I'm with you there," Mike said. "We'll do our best. We'll grab Raph and April, and, if it's possible, Shredder too. But, I don't think even Master Splinter would say we have to risk all our necks to get him out special."

Don nodded. "Besides...er, I'm not even sure those women will care about us anymore. I mean...they have what they want...Shredder...a man."

Suddenly, there was a rustling of the brushes that surrounded the sandy bank, and several figures emerged in the early morning gloom. The turtles immediately leapt into defensive stance, raising their weapons. The figures were difficult to make out in the mist, tall and slim and wearing silky shifts similar to those worn by Ancha and her troop of women. Yet, they did not have weapons. One of them spoke in a soft voice, "So...it is true. The Queen has acquired herself a man...things will now go badly with us."

As the figure spoke, it came forward. Leo squinted as the figure approached, and at first she seemed to be like any other of the shapely, tall women they had encountered in this strange place. She wore a long, white dress and her long, brown hair was tied back with a leather string. Her eyes were small, dark brown, and there was something slightly off about the shape of the face...the angle of the cheek bones...

When the figure stood just inches from Leonardo, suddenly the irregularities made an impossible kind of sense. Leo gasped, "You're a man!"

"Holy shit!" Mike said, lowering his chucks.

"Yes..." said the stranger, in that same, soft, high voice. "I am a man...of sorts." There were twitters and giggles from the group behind him, still obscured in the mist. "I am a eunuch."

Mike blinked. "What's a eunuch?"

"Trust me," Don said, lowering his bo with fascination. "You do NOT want to know."

More giggles followed from the group and they slowly came up behind their leader. He spoke again, smiling slightly, the expression softening his face, making it more girlish and indescribably strange. "I am Maya...I could not help but overhear...we were following, and listening...we mean you no harm. But you must come with us. If it is true that the Queen has captured a man, then our cause will be lost if he we do not act soon...the battle will be upon us. Come," he reached out his hand and grasped Leo's softly, causing him to flinch. Maya smiled, "Do not fear...there is someone you must speak to...we do not have much time."

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April slowly came out of a swimming darkness and found herself staring at a marble ceiling far above her head. At first, she didn't think at all and enjoyed the sense of peace that flooded her, sensing she had not felt so in a long time. But then a dull, persistent ache arched from her hip into her body and the memories came crashing back. The Palace. The battle. The arrow through her leg. Saki, bloodied and unconscious. And Raphael...

She sat up with a gasp and cried out as pain lanced outward from where her thigh met her hip, and she fell back to the bed. Suddenly, Raphael's concerned face loomed over her, and she felt him grasping her hand. "April...oh God...April, are you ok?"

April was panting, sweat beading on her forehead. "Yeah, Raph...I'm ok...are you? Oh my God, the guys! Did they get away? Where are we?"

Raphael smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed and grasping her hand hard. "Yeah I'm fine. And the guys got away just fine. Not a bad rescue, April...only 1/4 a failure! We're in the Palace," he looked around anxiously. She could see they were back in the ornate chambers where they had stayed when they first arrived. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a guard standing at the door. He leaned in and whispered. "They've been treating us kind of nice...giving me food. They gave you a potion, I didn't want them to, but they insisted it would make you better...they wrapped your leg..."

April lifted the bedclothes and saw that her thigh had been wrapped with heavy bandages. She tried to shift her leg despite the pain and was alarmed to realize she couldn't move it, or even feel it. She gasped, "Raph! I can't feel my leg..."

He looked intently at her and sighed. "I know...they said the arrow severed some major nerves, muscles...even arteries...they said it might as well have been cut off..."

"What?" April gasped. "You mean I'll never walk..."

"Shhh," Raph hushed, trying his best to comfort her, and knowing he was messing it up majorly. "They also said they could help you...but I don't know how...listen, April. I don't know why they've been so nice to us. They've almost been...friendly."

"Isn't it obvious?" April sighed. "They got what they wanted. You gave them Shredder."

Raphael blinked, and tried to put on a half-amused face, tried to suppress all the questions he wanted to ask her about her behavior the night before. "Gee, if that's all it took to turn them into pussy cats, we should've done that first thing..."

"How can you say that?!" April hissed. "Do you know what they wanted to do to him? What they're probably DOING to him right now? They're going to suck out his life force or something and kill him! How could we have let this happen?!"

Raph frowned at the outburst. She must still be under the influence of the potion, he told himself. He smiled weakly again, stroking her hair. "Come on April," he said gently. "You can't tell me you care that much about old can-head? What did he do? Put the moves on you?"

April tried to keep a straight face when Raph said this, but found herself blushing uncontrollably. Raph froze as he stared down at her, his eyes widening, his heart thudding in his ears. "Did he?" he breathed in almost a whisper.

They both didn't move, each staring wildly into each other's eyes. Raph slowly disentangled his hand from hers, and started to back away, shaking his head, when the door burst open.

"Ah! She's awake! And probably not feeling very well, poor thing!" In swept the Priestess, beaming like it was her birthday. She approached the bed, and glanced down at April. "You look so down! No need for that! We'll get you fixed up in no time!"

April tore her eyes away from Raphael and looked up at the Priestess, who was glowing. In fact, she looked radiant...and younger. While she was beautiful before, in a very stately, almost matronly way, she now seemed a vibrant young woman, pulsing with energy, flushed with health.

"I see you've been sampling the wares," April said sourly.

"Oh, everyone should," the Priestess clapped her hands together hard, almost jumping with nervous energy. She glanced up at Raphael. "Why so glum? I know you've liked the food, you've been gobbling it down. Do not fear, I'm sure your friends will come around soon...and we will let you all go." She gazed down at April, smiling. "You see, the Queen, now fitfully satisfied with the gorgeous Paelo, has had a change of heart. We all have! I mean, once we tasted his exquisiteness...we understood completely how you must be nearly mad with lust over him..."

April's eyes widened and she glanced warily at Raph. "Um...I wouldn't say that..."

"...of course you are! That body! Those eyes! It is enough to drive any sane woman mad with pleasure! We understand your irrational behavior last night...and we forgive you. After all. Who could resist?"

Raph coughed a sour laugh. "All right, broad. We get it. But you got what you want. Why not just let us go now?"

"Oh..." said the Priestess, smiling. "We still cannot trust this one. I think it will take all four of your brothers to restrain her from chasing after the Paelo with passion. We will wait until they arrive. And besides..." she turned her eyes back to April. "You do wish to be healed, do you not? You would like to walk again?"

April found herself sitting up, despite the pain. "You would do that? Can do that?"

"Of course," the cleric smiled. "There is nothing the Paelo's kiss cannot heal."

April frowned, laying back down on the bed. "No. I won't hurt him..."

"Oh...don't be absurd. He has much energy. He will be healing and rejuvenating our nobility for weeks...the common people, of course, think he only holds congress with the Queen, but you will be gone soon and not reveal our secrets." She winked, then continued. "The Queen has offered you this chance to heal...and see him a last time. I would not turn down her mood of good will. After all, you do want one more kiss, eh?"

"Yeah," Raph said sarcastically. "Nothing you haven't done before, right?"

April shot Raphael an evil look. "But...I thought only the women of this planet can do this...take energy from men. Trust me, I've never gotten younger from kissing anybody."

"It's a potion, young one," The Priestess lowered her voice. "We developed it millennia ago. Like so many things else on this world, our ingenuity has been our strength. The Queen has decided to give you a drop so you will be healed. Now, don't fight it. You will enjoy the experience immensely."

She clapped her hands and several guards walked into the room, carefully lifting April from the bed. "I don't know..." April began, but had to admit to herself she wanted to see him, make sure he wasn't being tortured or anything.

She tried to look at Raphael as they carried her from the room, but he had turned his back on her. Deep inside, she didn't blame him.

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April was in a the same bedroom chamber where she spent her torturous first night with Saki. She recognized the French windows and the rich, marble floor. But several gauzy screens had been erected around the bed, and in other places in the room. Several aristocratic women milled around giggling with linked arms, as a quartet played soft music in the corner on strange, stringed instruments. All the woman had the same dynamic, youthful glow that now pervaded the Priestess. It made April feel sick inside.

"Where is he?" April whispered, where she lay on a couch. A young woman brought her a glass of wine on a tray, which she accepted.

"He is with a noble woman just now," the Priestess nodded toward the screened bed. "That is the potion....drink it...it is delicious."

April sipped the liquid and was shocked by the almost orgasmic wave of pleasure that flooded through her abdomen. Then she blushed even deeper when she realized that through the soft sound of music she could hear faint groans of pleasure, both male and female, coming from behind the screen. I can't believe this, she thought to herself, but she could almost feel the nip of jealousy rise in her gullet. While the woman was clearly enjoying herself, the male sounds were more pained, urgent, almost agonized. She gulped down the wine quickly.

Finally, a blushing, flushed woman emerged from the screened in bed. She was greeted by a group of young women who swept her away, giggling.

"It is time," said the Priestess.

The guards carried April through the gauze and she gasped at what she saw. It was almost the exact scene from that night that seemed so long ago. Saki lay on his back, almost nude, a sheet again splayed carelessly over his middle. He was bound by golden hand cuffs. But he looked so different....it wasn't that he looked drained, or used. Instead, he was flushed, slick with sweat, fevered almost, as if he were trembling from exertion. His eyes were closed as he reclined against the pillow. He seemed hyper-tensive, strung up, she could almost hear his heart racing...like it was going to burst.

"Oh...Saki..." she said sadly, tears welling her eyes.

She heard a whisper in her ear. "Now, do not be greedy. You only get a kiss. We will give you a few moments alone...the potion will tell you what to do."

She was set gently down next to Saki and the Priestess and guards disappeared through the curtain.

April lay for a moment, looking at him. His face lolled toward hers, and she could see the sweat coating his brow, drenching his hair. His eyes fluttered, and opened. The dark eyes quivered in their sockets, and moved vacantly across the gauze, then drifted toward her face.

"Miss O'Neil..." he whispered, his trembling voice barely audible. "...they...I don't..." he breathed in, laboring to speak. "...it hurts so badly...I wish I could die..."

Her hand shot to his face and she felt the tears come. "Oh, Saki! I'm so sorry! Forgive me...I didn't know...the turtles..."

His eyes locked with hers, but she could tell he was so potioned, he was barely sensible. "...hurts..." he breathed. April dropped her hand and looked at him, not knowing what to feel. Deep down she knew it wasn't her fault. In fact, she began to feel ambivalent about the whole situation...why would the turtles want to save him? She must have appeared so absurd to them, with her crying...and now Raph...he knew something was up...how would she explain?

But still...she looked into his eyes and couldn't help but feel sympathy, and something else, deep down in her stomach. He looked so helpless, so pleading, so virile all at once...she found herself drawing closer to his face. She could hear his quick breathing, almost smell his breath...and then...the warmth from the potion, from the heat of her gut, flooded through her, and she felt herself grasping his face uncontrollably, pulling him close almost by instinct, and her lips met his...

She could his feel his body tense and heard him moan in pain beneath her lips, but she couldn't stop. She knew she was hurting him, taking a little of his life, draining him for her own benefit, but she still couldn't stop, the pleasure was unbelievable, blossoming in her chest, lancing through her lips, racing through her body and settling in a building bud of supreme tension where her thigh was injured...it grew and grew, pulsing through her body until she shuddered, her body convulsing in pleasure...and she pushed him away, panting and feeling incredible...a little dirty....but strong...

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The turtles stood in a dark cavern, deep beneath the earth. They had followed the group of eunuchs through the woods to the foot of the dark mountains, and to a massive crevice that rent the sheer rock base of the mountain. They barely spoke, too shocked by this band of strange, thin, fragile men. They did not fear an attack, the men were unarmed, and so willowy, they seemed as if they could be broken easily. They were much weaker than Ancha and her women.

They were led deep into the mountain, joined by more and more eunuchs carrying torches and giggling and gasping at the sight of the turtles. Finally, they came to a massive door, deep within the ground.

"Inside," said Maya, smiling shyly, and pushing the door open.

Inside was a roughly hewn chamber, though large enough. Hundreds of torches hung from the walls and huge fire burned in the chamber. It was so bright, the turtles had to blink to adjust to the orangeish glow.

Yet, inside there was something even stranger. From the far side of the fire, they could make out another group of figures, though they were hard to see. What was strange was the murmuring that occasioned their entrance. This was different, deep, rumbling....masculine.

"So!" A decidedly gruff voice called out from a throne across the fire. "We have heard the news! Come forward, Maya! Tell us what you know!"

Maya rushed daintily around the fire and conferred with the figure sitting in a throne. The turtles came around the fire and gasped at what they saw.

A large man with a bushy brown beard and pale skin sat on the throne. He wore an animal skin pelt across his chest, and though he was so pale that he looked like he had never seen the light of day, he was thickly muscled and brutish. Several other strong looking men, all bearing swords, glared at the turtles from where they gathered around the throne.

"Turtles," Leo said. "Be alert!"

They raised their weapons. The man chuckled roughly. "Do not worry!" his voice boomed across the chamber. "You have nothing to fear from us! Perhaps we will become allies! For, Maya has just told us that the old hag, the Queen, has gotten herself a man."

The man rose from the throne, glaring down at the turtles. "We are not quite ready...but this development changes things. Men! We cannot wait for the right time...fate has cast his die, and it is time to act! We cannot allow them to get young and strong again! The War against the women must begin tonight!"

A cheer went up in the chamber as the turtles lowered their weapons. They glanced wearily at one another, sensing they had just gotten swept up into something bigger than they could imagine.

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Raphael sat in the chamber, trying to suppress his rage, trying not to hate April, because he loved her so much. She must be confused, he told himself. That bastard probably hurt her, or worse. He can be a smoothie...and April's so darn nice...she probably didn't even know what was really going on. He would talk to her...find out what happened...help her through this...this awful mistake...

Suddenly, the door banged open and he was shocked to see April stride into the room.

"April, you can walk! You're ok..." he trailed off as he saw her face, and he could feel the blood run from his cheeks.

"Yes," she murmured, looking at him. "I look different, don't I?" She walked over to a mirror and found it difficult not to flinch when she saw herself. "Like looking back in time..."

The kiss had healed her leg. It had also done something else. Looking into the mirror...was seeing the woman she was ten years ago, in her early 20s, not a line on her face, barely a freckle, skin smooth and milky. "Strange..." she murmured, as Raphael came up behind her, trying to believe what he saw. "It's every woman's dream to have ten years taken off her looks...have ten years back on her life...but...so strange that I miss that face that was mine...like something is gone that I can't get back...like I've lost something, the face I earned...."

"You look beautiful..." Raphael breathed, gazing over her shoulder into the mirror.

"Yes," April sighed, looking into her flushed, though alien face. "But I feel dirty."

To Be Continued...............!!!!!!!!

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Author's Note: You likey? Me likey. Such a fun chapter to write...the characters just sort of did what they wanted. I'd love to hear what you think...any little thing you liked or didn't, anything it made you feel...gee, this is turning into a regular novel. Hope you enjoy this new direction our friends have taken, for better or worse...but my poor little Shredder!