Chapter 17: Friday Night.
"The locals were quite impressed with that party that you threw last week," Zareb commented to Shere Khan at their weekly meeting.
"What party?"
"You know, the costume party where you invited everyone in Ikhaya Labantu," Zareb explained. Shere Khan tried to remember, but to him the party was a complete blur.
"…I got drunk didn't I?"
"Yep." Zareb answered with a smile on his face. Shere Khan groaned. It was quite common these days. To Shere Khan, one drink simply doesn't mean 'one drink'. Shere Khan sighed, then remembered his original purpose of this meeting with Zareb.
"The party went well though?"
"Yeah, everyone had a great time."
"Well… as you know, my birthday's coming up, and I was thinking of throwing a party. Do you think the locals would like to be invited?" Shere Khan inquired. Zareb thought about this.
"…Will they have to bring gifts?"
"…Only if they want to," Shere Khan answered feeling super generous today.
"Then I'm sure it will be no problem. When's the party?"
"Um… Make it in three night's time… Friday night. That should be plenty of time for us to set everything up."
"Friday night it is then," Zareb concluded.
*****
Saringai looked at his three students before him and frowned. Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello stood in a line, holding a fighting stance. Leonardo wasn't present for yet another class. This increasing trend of Leonardo's to skip lessons worried the leopard greatly. The very thought of Leonardo finding something more important than ninjitsu was disturbing.
"Looks like Leonardo isn't here", Saringai stated the obvious. "Raphael, do you know where your brother goes?" The adult asked, trying to sound less worried than he actually was. The cheetah shrugged, not saying a word. Saringai didn't push on even though he knew that Raphael knew where Leonardo was. So instead, he turned his attention to Donatello. "Do you know Donatello?"
"I think he's got a girlfriend." Donatello didn't like to tattletale as it could lead into conflict later on. But this, he felt, was an exception as his Master needed reassurance that his student was fine; to give his Master's worrying some closure.
"Girlfriend?" Saringai hadn't expected that.
"Eew, gross!" Michelangelo immaturely blurted out. Both Saringai and Raphael gave him a look.
"… Donatello, do you happen to know her name?" Saringai questioned as he wondered whom on earth Leonardo was dating. Donatello shrugged. Saringai sighed. At least he found some answers. He'd have to talk to his youngest student when he finally comes home, allowing him to fill in the rest of the puzzle. No Leonardo or not, Saringai still had to educate his more obedient students. "Ok, today I want you to practice your weapon katas. Raphael, I want to see focus this time."
*****
"Check."
"Dammit! How do you keep checking me?" Rachel wailed as she moved her king chess piece again. Leonardo just gave a slight smile, not answering her question. Venus looked onwards from her seat on the bed. Leonardo visited her frequently now, nearly every day. The two of them would spend hours talking in Venus' room. She didn't question how Leo sneaked into the mansion or what he was supposed to be doing back at home. She didn't really care about those things, and neither did Leonardo. As long as they were together, nothing else seemed to matter. Rachel didn't care either, as long as she received more information about Raphael from Leonardo.
"I told you he'd be good at this game!" Venus commented.
"Yeah, but… I just taught him how to play! No one's supposed to be this good first time round!" Rachel complained, then pouted. Leonardo couldn't help but laugh. Rachel picked up a pawn piece that she took from Leo earlier, and threw it at him. He ducked the flying object expertly, causing the pawn to collide with Venus' bedroom wall instead. Venus looked at the chessboard.
"Ooh! I know!" Venus whispered something in Rachel's ear.
"Hey! Whose side are you on anyway? This is after all my first game you know," Leonardo said.
"Yeah, I know. And Rachel needs all the help she can get!" Venus joked. Rachel threw a pawn piece at her.
"So…" Rachel said, starting to change the conversation. "… Tell me more about Raphael."
"Um… his weapon of choice is the sai…" Leonardo said without much thought, his mind focused on the game.
"Wow… he must look so cute with those!" Rachel fantasized. Leonardo gave her a weird look.
"…I don't think I'd use the word 'cute' to describe someone like Raph," Leonardo hinted.
"Oh, you're only saying that because you're his brother," Rachel analysed.
"You have no idea…" Leonardo mumbled under his breath. Rachel heard him.
"No idea about what?"
"Uh… you have no idea … what I'm about to do," Leonardo covered up. He moved his castle piece forward two squares, making his final move. "Checkmate!" Leonardo grinned at Rachel. The jackal inspected the chessboard.
"Oh poo!" Rachel said childishly. She sighed and stood up off the floor. "Well, I guess I should go and do my chores… and leave you two alone," Rachel announced, winking.
"Nothing happens!" Venus and Leonardo said at the same time. Rachel giggled.
"Suuurrreee! Nothing happens!" Rachel said, winking again. Venus gave her a look. "Alright! I'm leaving. C'ya later Leo."
"C'ya," Leonardo farewelled as Rachel walked out the door. He looked at the chessboard that lay before him on the floor. "Wanna play?" Leonardo asked Venus. She shook her head in reply.
"Not really. I always lose to Rachel, which means I won't stand a chance against you," Venus explained. Leonardo smiled and began to pack away the game along with Venus' help.
"Has Rachel got a crush on my brother?" Leonardo questioned as he picked up the final chess piece to put away. Venus smiled.
"I thought that part was obvious."
"… But …Raphael?!?" Leonardo exclaimed. He gave Venus a weird face.
"As Rachel said, you're only saying that because you're his brother. He can't possibly be that bad," Venus said.
"But that's the thing. He's got that bad boy persona… and Rachel's one of the nicest people I know. I mean, Raph is late for class, he goes and does whatever he wants without permission, he's stubborn and takes terrifying risks," Leonardo explained.
"Sounds like you," Venus analysed. Leonardo stopped in his tracks and thought about what he'd just said. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Leonardo remembered the days when he was extra early for every class, and when he'd practice one technique until he thought it was perfected. He remembered the person that he used to be, then begun to think of the new habits that have created the person he was today. In some aspects, his behaviour was now indifferent to his older brother, Raphael. In fact, when he thought about it even further, he was worse than Raphael was. "You see, I understand why Rachel likes Raphael, because to me, he sounds just like you in so many ways. Rachel's interest in Raphael is almost the same as my interest in you," Venus compared.
'I am Raphael!' Leonardo thought to himself. 'Do I honestly hate this new lifestyle? Do I hate the person I've become?… No… Come to think of it, I've never been this happy in all my life! My mind is so clear now… Before, I was so focused on my studies that I forgot what true living is all about…Love. It isn't blind. It frees you…It freed me'. "I love you," Leonardo said without thinking. Even though the words slipped out, he truly meant it from the depths of his soul. He at first thought that his affection towards Venus might have been what was called 'puppy love', but now he realised that this was instead true love; the type that could break and see through some of the strongest barriers.
"I love you too," Venus answered with all of her heart. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. They passionately kissed each other, allowing their tongues to explore. When they finally broke apart, Venus rested her head on Leo's shoulder and stared at her balcony's view of the blazing sunset. "Come to the party on Friday night," Venus sighed.
"What party?" Leonardo asked softly.
"Shere Khan's having a birthday party on Friday night. It was announced this morning," Venus explained soothingly.
"Really? How old is he turning?"
"He's gonna be ten years old," Venus said while playing with his blue bandanna tails.
"That's pretty old," Leo pointed out. Venus agreed with a small giggle. "I'll be there at the party," Leo promised.
"And Raphael?" Venus questioned, thinking of Rachel.
"Mmmm… I'll have to see about that…"
*****
The zebra stared at the cheetah clothed in orange that stood confidently before him. The fiery orb of energy in the sky quietly began to settle in the west. Long shadows were cast over the land, making things seem longer and larger than what they actually were. The two animals stood beneath the trees that the mutants had made their home. Michelangelo stared back at Kuthixo, determined not to become frightened this time, unlike the other night when they first met.
Both breathed so they were soft and unheard. Both stood as still as rock. "Follow me," Kuthixo whinnied in animal talk. Michelangelo was surprised that he could understand the zebra. When it came to speaking with wild animals, he was used to the speaking the feline language; and it was sometimes difficult to translate other dialects of animal talk.
Kuthixo flicked his head, gesturing the cheetah to come. The stallion whipped off, his legs seemed to glide across the rocky, moist earth that made up the country of Lesotho. Michelangelo did what he was told and followed, running on all fours behind the zebra. Kuthixo suddenly slowed down his pace to a canter, as if he was trying to show the cheetah something. Michelangelo slowed down as well but didn't take any notice as to why.
"The grass," the stallion whispered. The cheetah looked puzzled, then looked at Kuthixo's hooves. Kuthixo delicately cantered on the grassy sections of the ground. The blades of grass sprang back up after his step, leaving no trace of his footprints. Michelangelo got the idea and did the same, ever so lightly treading on the grassy ground as he jogged. Kuthixo neighed in satisfaction.
The sun was only just peeping over the horizon and the stars were waking up when Kuthixo and his new student reached their destination. The two of them stood at the edge of a steep cliff, the wind busily swept through their furs. Michelangelo looked around while he tried to catch his breath. Apart from the chill factor, it really was a beautiful spot. Michelangelo watched the large river beside him topple gracefully over the edge of the cliff, creating a magnificent waterfall. The cheetah looked with awe at the amount of mist that was created from the falling water. That's when he noticed something. A small traditional village thrived at the bottom around the waterfall's base. He watched as the strange creatures gathered, finishing off their harvesting, while others prepared for the night's celebration.
'Humans', Michelangelo thought to himself. Saringai had warned him about these animals. The cheetah never did quite understand why they were so dangerous. He had never met one up close, so there was no reason to fear them as of yet. Michelangelo never grasped how different he was to the rest of the world. He grew up with mutants in a hidden mutant society, therefore never knew what the outside world was like. "Why did you take me here?" Michelangelo asked curiously in animal talk.
"To show you our limitations. We are not free, cheetah. We are only free until we bump into them… humans. But if you are free in your spirit, then you can never be caught."
*****
It was nighttime when Leonardo came back home from his visit at Venus'. Of course, once again, Saringai gave him another lecture on how to turn a cell phone on. Saringai questioned him about his girlfriend, but Leonardo didn't give any new information to his Master because he feared what the consequences would be for dating one of Shere Khan's servants.
Leonardo sighed and entered his shared bedroom, only to find Raphael sitting on his bed, unusually quiet. Leonardo sat down opposite to his older brother and looked at him. The two stared at each other, neither saying a word. It was Raphael who finally cracked.
"Ok Leo, how the hell did you survive this thing!" Raphael groaned. It was obvious that his voice was breaking.
"So that's why you've been so quiet!" Leonardo concluded.
"I hate this. My voice sounds so stupid! Michael will tease me for sure… and I'd be called the names we called you…" Raphael complained.
"Now you know how I felt," Leonardo said. "Just remember that everyone has to go through this… and if Michael teases you, then you can help me get revenge!" Leonardo said almost evilly. Raphael smiled at the thought that Michael will have to go through this too… sometime.
"So how long did you… you know…"
"One week. But that could be just me."
"Shit."
"What?"
"I've still got three more days of this friggin' crap voice," Raphael croaked, angry with his own body. Leonardo smiled at this comment.
"Hey, you've only got a weird voice. Just wait till you get the wet dreams."
"Wet dreams?… Oh now you're just trying to scare me!" Raphael said, his voice fluctuating again. Leo could only shake his head and smile at Raphael's stubbornness. Suddenly Michelangelo flew into the room, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.
"…Has… Master asked… about where… I was?" Michael panted. His two younger brothers looked at him weirdly and shook their heads. "…Good…"
"Why? What have you done?" Leonardo asked.
"It's just that… you know how we've been grounded?… Yeah, well anyway… I just went for… a little afternoon run… Didn't want to… get busted… that's all," Michael panted, telling a little white lie.
"Well, luckily for you, Saringai went out hunting after he spoke to me," Leonardo informed.
"That's right! You've been going out with a girl. You've got cooties!" Michael burst out immaturely. Leonardo couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Michael, girls don't have cooties," Raphael croaked, beginning to get irritated with Michelangelo's whole 'cootie' phase.
Michael's ears pricked at the sound of Raphael's voice. A sly grin formed on his face. Within moments Michelangelo was in a fit of laughter. Raphael angrily stood up and kicked Michael square in the groin. There was a moment's silence before Michelangelo dropped to the floor in absolute agony. Leonardo and Raphael grinned to each other before Raph sat back down on his bed.
"So what's her name anyway?" Raphael asked. Venus didn't introduce herself when he met her at Ikhaya Labantu. When Raphael delivered her message to Leo, he simply said that some chick wanted to see him, and Leonardo immediately knew whom he was talking about.
"Her name's Venus," Leonardo said softly, thinking about her as he mentioned her name.
"So, when are you going to see her again?"
"Why? Does it bother you?" Leonardo questioned.
"Well… yeah it does. Leo, you've been missing a LOT of classes lately. Yesterday in sparring we all whooped your ass… including Donatello! I just… I dunno… don't you think you're spending a little too much time with her? I mean… you, Leonardo, is missing class for God's sake! And I hate to say it, but it's beginning to show," Raphael debated.
"Raphael, I remember when you told me that there were more things to life than taking class," Leonardo commented.
"Really? When did I say that?"
"Right before you complained about being a horse," Leonardo said, which caused Raphael to respond with a weird look. "There's just something about her… She's my life now, you know… I'm too committed to her, I can't just stop seeing her. This is going to sound weird but… I really don't know how I lived without her…" Leonardo opened up.
"Oh my goodness. You're twitterpated!" Michelangelo called out; jumping up from the floor now fully recovered from his 'friendly' encounter with Raphael.
"Are you still here?!" Raphael exclaimed.
"Twitterpated?" Leo said, confused.
"Yeah, twitterpated. I saw it on 'Bambi'. It's about how girls make you lose your head," Michelangelo explained.
"When did you see 'Bambi'? How did you watch 'Bambi'? We don't own a television!" Leonardo questioned.
"Yeah, but Shere Khan owns one."
"Isn't 'Bambi' the story about a deer or something lame like that?" Raphael asked.
"Shere Khan owns 'Bambi'?" Leonardo thought out loud.
"That's beside the point. The point is, you're twitterpated! This girl has taken over you, controlling your life and your every move. You trust her with your life…she's got you right where she wants you. Then, when you're not looking… she'll give you her cooties!" Michelangelo said as if he was telling a ghost story.
"Shere Khan owns 'Bambi'?" Leonardo repeated, not listening to any of Michelangelo's nonsense. Michael frowned.
"So when are you seeing Venus again?" Raphael asked once again.
"I know that I'm definitely seeing her on Friday night."
"What's on Friday?" Raphael questioned. Michelangelo quietly sniggered to himself after hearing Raphael's voice. His sniggering stopped suddenly when Raphael gave him a hard glare.
"Shere Khan's birthday party. He's invited all of the locals. Want to come?" Leonardo offered.
"Uh-uh. Are you crazy? You're still grounded from the first party we went to… not that you've taken any notice to Saringai's punishment!" Raphael said with his limited amount common sense and responsibility.
"Rachel will be there…" Leonardo coaxed.
"How do you know about Rachel?" Raphael asked, slightly blushing.
"Who's Rachel?!" Michelangelo interrupted, seeing that he was being left out of the conversation.
"Rachel's Venus' best friend. I see her just about everyday. She talks about you non stop!" Leonardo explained to Raphael, trying to ignore Michelangelo's presence.
"…Really?… What does she say about me?" Raphael said worriedly.
"She says that you're cute," Leonardo said with a smirk on his face.
"CUTE!" Raphael cried out.
"Yeah, that's how I reacted," Leonardo admitted. "So… are you going to come?"
"Yeah, alright," Raphael murmured, failing to hide the fact that he was only going because of Rachel.
"Guys, you can't go… Saringai will be really, really angry," Michelangelo said, thinking about how he almost lost his leadership because of his lack of responsibility. Deep down, he really wanted to go. It was a party after all.
"Does it look like we really care about Saringai being angry?" Raphael said rudely.
"Fine! Go then… But I'm coming too! I'm not about to let you two have all the fun… But you better not say that you were following my orders again. This is your idea, not mine," Michelangelo said. Leonardo and Raphael nodded in agreement. "Shouldn't Master be back from hunting by now. I'm getting really hungry," Michelangelo whined. A sound was heard coming from the dining room. "Master is that you?" Michelangelo called out; thinking that Saringai had created the noise.
"No. It's just me," Donatello replied from the other room.
"Oh…" Michelangelo said with disappointment.
"Gees, can't you look just a little more happy to see me," Donatello said, a little offended by Michael's reaction. He walked into Raphael and Leonardo's bedroom wondering why everyone was gathered.
"Hey Donatello, we're all going to Shere Khan's birthday party on Friday night," Leonardo informed him.
"Wait a second. Just because you three decide to do something, I have to go along for the ride?" Donatello asked. His three brothers looked at each other, then turned to look at him and nodded in unison.
"Oh come on Don, do it for me…" Leonardo said using a softer tone, remembering what Donatello had said to him last time they were in this situation. All eyes focused on Donatello, slowly placing the pressure on him. Donatello groaned and reluctantly agreed to go. His brothers smiled with accomplishment.
*****
Friday night…
The sky groaned as dark clouds shadowed the earth. The four male cheetahs crouched behind the many shrubs that filled Shere Khan's garden. This time, the front gates were heavily guarded. It wasn't a costume party so, unlike last time, the cheetahs couldn't wear a disguise of any sort. The boys put all their ninjitsu skills to practice as they stealthily sneaked over towards the mansion. When they were close enough, they separated and agreed to meet back at the spot every half-hour.
Cautiously, Leonardo entered the fortress. The set up was similar to that of the costume party. Like last time, a band played the music while the guests danced, twirled and gossiped in the centre of the room. The buffet table was in the same spot, but more luxurious food were placed on top and table and chairs were set up for people to sit down and eat. Streamers and balloons were strung across the ceiling, giving the party more of a birthday atmosphere.
Leonardo looked nervously around. He felt a little more vulnerable this time. There was a light tap on his shoulder. He turned around to find Venus smiling innocently at him. "Looks like you kept your promise after all," Venus admired.
"Of course I did. I even brought Raphael along," Leonardo said, slightly boasting, then gave Venus a 'hello' peck on the cheek. Venus smiled and took Leonardo's paw and lead him back outside. "Why are we outside?" Leonardo asked her softly.
"I wanted to have a private dance. Just you and me," Venus sweetly enticed. Even though they were outside, the music could be easily heard. Leonardo graciously accepted the offer. He placed his hands around her waist while she placed hers around his neck. They couldn't help but stare into each other's eyes. Their bodies were so close as they danced, that it was instinctive that they kissed. Leonardo's hands changed position as he slid them over the back of Venus' pale green tank top, letting one rest on the small of her back, the other rested just below her neck. It wasn't long until the movement of the feet stopped, turning the dance into just a kiss. A single, slow steady clapping abruptly started in the background.
The lovers broke apart to see who was clapping. It was Vasha. Shere Khan, Sebastian, Kathryn, Galileo and some of the army and locals stood behind the tigress. Shere Khan's expression was strong and firm. It was Galileo who had first spotted the couple and didn't hesitate to report the event to Vasha and Shere Khan. Leonardo and Venus were too preoccupied to even notice their viewers as they slowly came outside see if Galileo was telling the truth. The two cheetahs now stood there startled, frozen in their place not knowing what to do next. Leonardo tried to think, but only swear words that he had learnt off Raphael came to mind. Shere Khan raised his right paw and his troops ran forward and surrounded them.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. A servant and an enemy sitting in a tree. K. I. S. S. I. N. G!" Vasha said evilly, slowly articulating every syllable with a dead yet violent tone.
A lion approached his Master. "Shere Khan. We have captured two of the cheetahs," he said as he bowed down. The lion performed a signal and Raphael and Donatello were brought over, both were struggling in the arms of Shere Khan's troops. Shere Khan smiled evilly. Four soldiers stepped towards Leonardo and Venus and grabbed them. Shere Khan took his whip off Sebastian and approached the struggling Leonardo.
"Don't you know that the penalty for dating a servant, without asking for the owner's permission, is fifty lashes?" Shere Khan asked Leonardo rhetorically, with cruel intentions in his voice. The two tigers holding the male cheetah, turned Leonardo around so that his back was facing Shere Khan. Shere Khan unraveled his whip in preparation. He was going to enjoy this. Leonardo bit his lip, awaiting the sting of the leather. Whip in hand, Shere Khan reared his arm back. Venus struggled out of her captor's grasp and scampered to shield Leonardo's body. The whip came down hard and fast, and ripped across her back. Venus gasped in pain as her back stung like a thousand wasps. Her legs gave into the pain and she collapsed to the ground.
Shere Khan stood where he was, stunned at what had just happened. Shocked, the two tigers loosened their grip on Leonardo. Leo wriggled out of their hold and leant down to comfort Venus, resting her head on his thighs. A thin trail of blood trickled down her back as tears of pain swelled in her eyes. Anger rushed like a tidal wave over Leonardo. "How could you," Leo growled through clenched teeth. If looks could kill, Shere Khan would have been dead by now. Rachel, who had only just found out what was going on, rushed over to Venus. Seeing that Venus was in good hands, Leonardo stood up and drew his twin katanas, glaring daggers at Shere Khan.
Shere Khan's troops stepped forward but the tiger called them off. This was going to be between just Leonardo and him. Shere Khan threw the whip aside and started to reach for his sais in his belt, but then thought of a better idea. "Hand me a sword. I'll only need one," Shere Khan ordered. One of his soldiers stepped forward and offered him the weapon hilt first.
Leonardo and Shere Khan started to circle around each other, both sizing the opponent up. Leo growled menacingly, letting the anger take complete control. He lunged and slashed wildly at Shere Khan who expertly blocked every swipe. Shere Khan had read the 'Book of Mutants' and knew that Leonardo's never fought like this. 'Must of touched a very sore spot for him to be pissed off THIS much,' Shere Khan thought.
A sneer came across Shere Khan's face as he changed his fighting style from defensive to offensive. Leonardo was ten times faster, but Shere Khan was ten times stronger. Shere Khan slashed powerfully and Leonardo managed to block every one, but not as easily as he'd hoped. Every time the swords clashed, Leonardo's arms had to frequently give in a fair bit to completely stop Shere Khan's mighty blows from getting any closer to his body. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Leonardo was quickly tiring and didn't know how much longer he could hold off the tiger's strong attacks. It wasn't long till Leonardo had to resort to using both of his katana to defend from Shere Khan's onslaught. This made Leonardo furious.
Leonardo roared and used all of his might to slash at Shere Khan's weapon. The tiger lost his grip and the sword flew up into the air, spinning dangerously. Lightning was seen in the grey clouds as both Leonardo and Shere Khan watched the sword come back down to earth. It landed heavily; it's blade dug into the ground, making the single sword stand upright. Without a moment to lose, Shere Khan ran for the weapon and grabbed his standing sword by the hilt.
Leonardo aggressively charged after him, katanas extended preparing to injure. Their weapons clashed yet again, causing Leonardo to lose one of his swords. Leo quickly dove after it, fully equipping himself again. Shere Khan raised his arm then swiped down. Leonardo managed to block Shere Khan's weapon inches away from his head with one of his katanas. With his spare katana, Leonardo tried to stab the tiger's torso, but Shere Khan managed to yank his sword down in time to obstruct the attack. Leonardo recovered from the block quickly and aimed for the tiger's neck. The attack was stopped yet again by the clashing of metal. Shere Khan put pressure onto his weapon and gave Leonardo a push backwards, creating some distance between them. Then something unexpected occurred.
Shere Khan extended his paw. Strange, glowing energy built up in his palm. Leonardo charged forward yet again. Shere Khan released the chi energy as a powerful blast. Leonardo flew backwards from the direct hit. Pain filled the cheetah's body, but determination and anger continued to flow through and Leonardo tried to get up again. Leo slowly got into a kneeling position and looked at his opponent. His eyes opened in fear as Shere Khan stood over him. The world seemed to move in slow motion as Shere Khan raised his sword dramatically into the air. He swung the sword downwards. The sharp metal blade came into contact with the cheetah… when Shere Khan cut across Leonardo's face.
Author's Note: As you might have noticed, it's been a while since I've updated this story. It might be a few weeks till the next chapter is posted due to my current bombardment of homework, tests, assignments yada, yada, yada. Thanks to all the people who have reviewed… and don't worry, Bambi won't be mentioned again (hopefully). If this fight scene is familiar to you, then that's because it was inspired by an intro to a Playstation game ;o) Know which one? And yes, the answer to last chapter's question was Cruel Intentions :o)