Chapter 13: When 'No' Means 'Yes'.
One week later…
The time had finally come. Although Saringai didn't mind sleeping on one of the branches in the dining room, he longed for a decent night's sleep without any interruptions from Raphael and Michelangelo trying to visit each other. He didn't want to put the two boys together, 'cause that would only mean one thing… chaos. Thankfully there was a fourth tree nearby, slowly growing in between Leo/Raph's and Don/Michael's tree. The tree was a sapling and was only now strong and leafy enough to build on.
Placing down the floorboards was the easiest part, and Saringai didn't require the boys' help. The leopard had decided long ago not to install a staircase inside the trunk like the lower entrance to the dining tree, as he had found out before, it takes a fair while to make. Instead, he wanted to attach two bridges to the new tree so that one bridge lead to Leo and Raph's, and the other lead to Michael and Don's. So in order for him to reach the dining room, he would have to walk through one of the boy's trees. Because this new tree was closer, it meant that he could hear more of the conversations held by his students. Therefore there was a greater chance of disciplining the boys when they did something wrong. The leopard grinned evilly to himself at this thought.
"So what do you want us to work on?" Leonardo asked his mentor, voice breaking. His brothers sniggered behind him while trying to imitate Leonardo's voice. The teenager groaned. Over the past week, Leonardo had become the butt of Michelangelo's jokes. Even though Leonardo was now slightly taller than his brothers, they still continued to pick on him, constantly reminding him that he was still the youngest of the four. Saringai felt sorry for the kid. Leonardo was no more prepared for this than he was himself. What amazed Saringai though, was the speed in which Leonardo was developing. It was faster than he would ever have anticipated. It had to be the effects of the mutation; there was no other conclusion. It was like puberty was some sort of illness that Leonardo had caught; where all the symptoms came at once, only to be conquered after only a week.
Frequently throughout the week, Leonardo visited Saringai hoping for some advice, some reassurance. The leopard repeatedly told the boy that it was a gradual thing that everyone goes through. But it wasn't. It was rapid, coming like a bombardment, and what was worse was the fact that he was facing it alone. Leonardo was scared; he was scared of his own body, scared of the mutation… and no one could help him.
Leonardo turned to face his giggling brothers, then turned back to Saringai. "Master, make them stop!" His voice broke again.
"Master, make them stop!" Michelangelo said, imitating his youngest brother. They all laughed except for Saringai, and of course, Leonardo. The cheetah couldn't handle much more of this.
"Leonardo, you have my permission to give Michelangelo an ass whooping next time he makes a comment like that," Saringai said. He too was getting tired of this. Michelangelo gulped. If there was one thing Leonardo was good at, then it was beating Michelangelo at a fight. Leonardo's brothers went quiet after that. Saringai looked at the wooden planks and ropes on the ground.
"Alright. I want Raphael and you, Leonardo, to help me with building the bridges. Donatello and Michelangelo, you can help by weaving together some leaves to make some camouflaged curtains so that I can use them as the doors. You remember what I taught you, right?" Saringai asked. The twins nodded in response. The group split up and started doing their given tasks. Halfway through the job, Donatello piped up and asked a question.
"Master? Do you have any more electronic parts that I could possibly use for my laptop?"
"I do have some electronic parts, but none that I would use for a computer. Do you still need more parts to make it?"
"Yes," Donatello sighed.
"… There might be some electronic equipment that you could trade for at Ikhaya Labantu. I can take you there as soon as this is done," the leopard suggested.
"Really? That'd be great! Then I can finally finish my solar powered laptop!" Donatello called out excitedly.
"Solar powered eh? How environmentally friendly of you," Saringai commented. Donatello blushed.
"Hey when are our mobile phones gonna be ready?" Michelangelo asked impatiently.
"Ah yes! I keep forgetting to give them to you. They are ready now. Just remind me if I forget again, ok?" The leopard said happily.
"Oh cool!"
*****
"Since I spared Venus' life, what do the locals think of me now?" Shere Khan asked Zareb at their weekly meeting.
"Well… they say that you've finally gotten a soul. Congratulations!" Zareb said with a cynical tone. He had no idea why Shere Khan had done that, but he was glad that Venus was alive nevertheless.
"Good. So they're starting to like me then?"
"Like you? I thought your goal was for them to fear you?" Zareb asked with a confused expression on his face.
"Not any more. That was my old objective. So… do you have any suggestions of things to do that could make me more popular with the locals?"
"Um… a party or something?" Zareb suggested without really thinking. He didn't really believe what he was hearing. 'Shere Khan's nice? What's the world coming to?…Is he on drugs?'
"A party! What a great idea! Tell the people of Ikhaya Labantu that tomorrow evening there will be a party at my mansion. Wait! Make that a costume party; they're always more fun!"
Zareb looked weirdly at Shere Khan. "Are you feeling all right?"
"Why? Do I look ill?"
"…Sorta."
"Hmm, I better get myself checked then." The tiger stood up from the table and headed for the door. "Remember to tell the people about the party won't you?"
"Uh… yeah… sure." 'What's up with him? Why does Shere Khan want the locals to like him? I thought he wanted to be the ruler? So why didn't he kill Venus, one of his major threats,' Zareb wondered with puzzlement. All of a sudden he wanted to have a word with Saringai.
*****
The cheetahs dodged around the bustling citizens of Ikhaya Labantu. "How come it's so crowded Saringai? It wasn't this busy the last time we came," Donatello voiced, clutching the bows and arrows, crafted by Saringai, that would be used for trading. Saringai agreed with him.
"Hi Saringai!" Zareb called out, rushing over to him. "Boy am I glad to see you!"
"What's happening? Why is it so crowded?" Saringai asked the lion/leopard.
"Tomorrow night there's going to be a costume party at Shere Khan's fortress. So everyone is looking around for a outfit."
"A party? Who's organising this?"
"You won't believe me, but Shere Khan is."
"Shere Khan? Have a party? You've got to be kidding. Shere Khan's type of fun is planning evil… not having a party. That's just not him!"
"I know what you mean. The guy's lost it! I spoke to him earlier today. He told me he wants the locals to like him, not hate him. I guess we shouldn't really be complaining… but still…"
"Something's not right. He's got some sort of plan… don't know what though," Saringai concluded. His eyes scanned across the crowds before landing on an impatient Donatello. "Oh yeah, do you know where we could get some electronic equipment?" Saringai asked Zareb before he forgot the reason he was there in the first place.
"Only know of two places. There's Shere Khan's stall, and I think the monkey's stall has also got some more stock in," Zareb suggested. He looked at the bows and arrows in Donatello's paws. "Something tells me that you're not going to trade at Shere Khan's."
"Ok, you boys can go off and trade those bows and arrows for electronics at the monkey's stall. You are not to trade at Shere Khan's. There is no way we are giving quality weapons to our enemies. Understand?" The boys nodded in agreement before running off into the crowds. Saringai stayed to speak to Zareb.
"Have you heard what's happened to Venus?" Zareb asked once the boys were gone.
"No… I haven't heard anything about her for a long time, not since she was a cub. Is she ok? What's the news?" Saringai questioned anxiously.
"She was captured by Shere Khan, and he spared her life. She's now one of his servants".
"He didn't kill her? Well, that's excellent news for us to know that she's still alive but… Shere Khan's read the 'Book of Mutants'. He knows better than to keep her alive. Why did he do that?" Saringai wondered out loud. Zareb shrugged.
"Your guess is as good as mine."
"I don't like this. He's got something up his sleeve. It's just… odd," Saringai said softly, still trying to guess Shere Khan's motive.
The boys barged through the crowds. They thought they were going to get lost, but thanks to Leonardo's extra height, they managed to spot the monkey's stall. They walked over to the table containing many electronic gadgets, much to Donatello's delight. He piled the weapons on top of Michelangelo before browsing through the stall's contents. In a matter of seconds, Donatello had managed to pick out the parts that he needed. Satisfied, he signaled the stall owner, a rather dark Mona monkey over so that the haggling could begin.
"Ok, I will trade you all of these weapons, for these three gadgets," Donatello offered.
"No," the Mona monkey snapped. Michelangelo, being the leader, stepped forward and took over.
"Ok, these are really good quality bows and arrows. You can put some oil on the tip and shoot the arrow on fire if you wanted to, or you could tie a rope at the end and use it to climb up walls…"
"… You could use them to assassinate Shere Khan with…" Raphael interrupted.
"No."
"Ok, well how about…"
"No! No trade! NO TRADE!!!" The monkey hooted and screeched, bouncing up and down while banging on his chest. He quickly picked up a pebble and threw it at Donatello. It hit him in the middle of his forehead.
"Let's get outta here!" Raphael exclaimed.
"Creepy little monkey…" Donatello muttered, rubbing his forehead where the rock had made contact. Saringai was still with Zareb when they found him. Saringai looked at their disappointed faces and at the weapons that still hadn't been traded.
"I'm sorry… we failed."
"By any chance was it a rather dark Mona monkey at the stall?" Zareb questioned. The boys nodded. "Oh, don't worry. He never trades."
"Then why does he own a stall?" Leonardo asked, voice still breaking.
"…He's a monkey. What did you expect? Come back another time when his sister operates the stall."
"Is she any better?"
"No… not really."
The group sighed, knowing they had been defeated. After saying goodbye to Zareb, they headed back home. It was then Michelangelo remembered something.
"Hey Master? Can we go to this party tomorrow night?"
"No."
"Oh why not?" Michelangelo whined. He had never been to a party before and desperately wanted to know what the all the fuss was about.
"Because it doesn't feel right. I don't know what motives Shere Khan has behind all this. It could be a trap for all I know," Saringai explained. Michelangelo pouted.
"Pretty please?"
"No!" Saringai snapped, starting to sound like the monkey.
*****
"Just ask him!" Rachel pleaded.
"But he'll say no!" Venus protested.
"Oh no he won't. Just go in there and ask. I'll be waiting right here." Rachel said with encouragement. Venus sighed and opened the door to Shere Khan's study. She found the Siberian tiger sitting at his desk, flicking through some paperwork. He sensed her presence and shifted his gaze to look at her. Venus' heart skipped a beat.
"Uh… I was wondering if I could join the party that's on tonight…"
"No," Shere Khan said simply. He went back to reading. Venus looked back towards the doorway and gave Rachel an 'I told you so' face. Rachel sighed and entered the room, approaching Shere Khan.
"Shere Khan. Since I'm allowed to join the party, I was wondering why Venus couldn't. I'll be happy to watch over her. I'm sure she won't get into any trouble. I mean, she's done all her chores for the week. She's done them quite well I might add. I think it's only fair to reward her for her work," Rachel tried, speaking for Venus' behalf. Shere Khan looked at Rachel, thinking to himself.
"Oh alright," Shere Khan groaned. He never could say 'no' to Rachel. The two females smiled and thanked the tiger politely before leaving him alone to get back to his work.
"Yes!" Venus cheered. Ever since she'd heard about the event, she desperately wanted to go. She gave Rachel a high-five.
"Told you he'd say yes," the jackal said in a matter-of-fact tone. Venus gasped in panic.
"Oh, what am I going to wear?!"
"Don't worry. I have the perfect thing for you."
"Hey Venus!" Kathryn called out from down the hall. She confidently walked up to the two mutants, glaring daggers at Rachel. "Stay the hell away from Sebastian! He's mine! Don't you dare interfere!" Kathryn warned. She didn't agree with her mother's no action plan. Kathryn wanted to take matters into her own hands. When it came to Sebastian, she wanted Venus out of the picture completely. She didn't like the bet that was made, and she especially didn't want Shere Khan to win. If Shere Khan won, then he'd get Rachel, therefore making it easier for Seabstian to date her. Kathryn had always despised Rachel, and now that Venus was in the way, she hated her as well.
"Relax. Gees, he's the one that won't leave me alone. Don't go blaming me! Besides, I'm not even attracted to him," Venus debated. Kathryn glared at both of them.
"How could you not be attracted to Sebastian? He's the cutest boy around here!" Kathryn defended. Venus smirked.
"So… now you're saying that I should be attracted to him? You're not making any sense!" Venus said sniggering. Rachel smiled. Kathryn looked really pissed off.
"Just leave him alone! Or else…" with that said, Kathryn started to walk off.
"Or else what?" Venus called out bravely. Kathryn didn't respond; she just kept walking. "What a weird girl," Venus commented to Rachel, who seemed to have loved every minute of that little spat.
*****
Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello quietly entered Leonardo's room, hoping that they could bring their youngest brother along with them for the ride. All six eyes scanned Leo/Raph's bedroom trying to find him. This had to be one of the most bizarre rooms someone could come across. Leonardo and Raphael were like the odd couple. The right side of the room, Leonardo's side, was incredibly neat. The bed had been made, his books were neatly stacked, and his spare shorts were clean and folded perfectly. Raphael's side looked like a bomb had hit it. There was a physical 'line' going through the center of the room; where Raphael garbage magically stopped and where Leonardo's polished floorboards began.
They found Leonardo sitting on the floor reading a book, back resting against the bed. "Wanna go to a party Leo?" Michelangelo asked, voice to the minimum as to not to alert the leopard near by.
"Master said 'no'. Besides, we've got an early class tomorrow morning," Leonardo said with a deep voice, eyes still glued to his book. His brothers had grown quite envious of Leo's deep voice, but wouldn't admit it. Not after one week of teasing.
"You know, there are more things in life than taking class," Raphael commented, hands on hips. "And why do I have to be the horse!" Raphael complained. Leonardo looked up from his book and saw his brothers in full costume, ready to go. Raphael wore a brown potato sack with holes for his arms, legs and tail. His tail was covered in thin, long blades of brown grass, and lastly, he wore a plastic horse mask on his head.
"Shh… keep your voices down. Honestly Raph, the horse is one of nature's most noblest of creatures," Michelangelo said, humouring him.
"Noble my ass!"
"You know, I thought the donkey would of suited him more," Donatello commented.
"Oh shut up."
"Then we can accurately call you an ass!" Donatello followed up.
"Shut up Moon Boy!"
Donatello wore a large yellow sphere. Leonardo wondered how on earth he was going to sit down in that thing. Attached to the sphere was a thin metal frame that supported a number of polystyrene balls.
"What you supposed to be?" Leonardo asked.
"Our Planetary Solar System," Donatello answered.
"Yeah, the moon even orbits around the earth!" Michelangelo flicked the tiny ball so that it spun around the bigger ball that was 'the earth'.
"Stop doing that!" Donatello protested. Leonardo raised an eyebrow when he looked at what Michelangelo was wearing more closely. He wore a brown tasseled leather skirt and a rather large bronze bra plate.
"What the hell are you?" Leonardo asked with a 'I-can't-believe-that-you're-wearing-that' tone.
"Xena."
"So are you gonna come or not?" Raphael asked, patience growing thin.
"I told you. Master said that we couldn't go."
"Well, I'm the leader and I order you to go to this party with us," Michelangelo commanded. He knew that was usually all it took to get Leonardo to obey. Leonardo didn't like to go against orders, and his older brothers often used this to their advantage.
"I'm sorry, but Master said 'no', and I'm afraid that he overrides your decision," Leonardo replied.
"Oh come on Leo, do it for me," Donatello said using a softer tone.
"Only if you can find some sort of lesson out of this experience we're about to undergo."
"Um… how about, 'we should know our enemies better than we know ourselves'? We're going to Shere Khan's mansion and this party gives us a great opportunity to snoop around. What do ya say?" Donatello said, hoping that Leonardo would come. Leonardo paused to think about what Donatello had just said.
"Alright," Leonardo finally gave in. His brothers beamed a smile. "What am I going to wear?"
"You're going to be the Knight in Shining Armour!" Michelangelo produced a shiny material undergarment and some plastic silver armour. "You get to carry a sword!"
"I always carry a sword! Where did you get all this stuff?"
"One word. Storage Tree." Raphael answered.
"That's two words," Donatello corrected.
"Oh Shut up! Leo doesn't have to ride me does he?" Raphael asked. His brothers didn't answer. "DOES HE?"
"Shhh… Leo hurry up and get dressed. We'll meet you outside. Oh, and don't forget to bring your cell phone… just in case we get lost or separated… or injured… or…"
"Michelangelo, shut up. You're making me think that this is a bad idea. Let's just go already." Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello filed out of the room, leaving Leonardo to get dressed.