Chapter 6 Missions and Memories

April spent most of the day trying to comfort Donatello. By the time she left, at four thirty that afternoon, Michelangelo still hadn't appeared out of his room.

Poor guys, she thought as she blinked in the bright sunlight. From the readings she and Donatello had done last night, she knew that traditionally all creatures of water accepted mermaids as their masters. It appeared that despite the mutation that gave them human intelligence, they were all still turtles, and instinctively trusted this mermaid, even though they knew nothing about her.

Mike must have thought he was doing them a favor keeping them out of it, but what are they going to do now? As much as Leonardo didn't want to admit it, Michelangelo was right. If The Foot were after something the mermaid had, and Michelangelo has assured them that his friend was in possession of some powerful items, they had to let him protect her.

Leo knows it, but he doesn't trust his own judgement anymore. He thinks the mermaid has skewed things in his brain. How can I help them think clearly about this?

She got to the door of her new apartment and sighed. The reward from the stolen jewels had been quite enough for her to repair and restore her building and even fix up the shop. There had been nothing about the explosion in the shop, that told the police that this was other than a robbery gone wrong. Because of the Nano monster she had gotten a fat reward check that enabled her to fix everything. Still she couldn't help remembering how she felt when she saw her whole life go up in a fireball, and wondered if the guys weren't feeling a bit of that right now.

"April? April O'Neil?"

April turned to face the voice, but even before she faced her April knew. Standing before her was the woman that had joined Michelangelo in the lair. No, she's not a woman, she's the mermaid!

"What do you want?" April said, maybe a little harsher than she intended, but she had spent the better part of the day trying to convince the guys that they weren't under this creature's control.

"I just want to talk to you," The mermaid said softly. "Female to female. I didn't mean to cause such trouble today. I need your help." She looked around. "There is a coffee shop on the next corner, if you do not feel comfortable letting me into your home."

April looked at the mermaid, thought about it for a full minute, then with a sigh she said, "okay."
The mermaid smiled, and led the way to the coffee shop.

The shop had been there for ages. April had eaten there many times and was well known by everyone. Bill, the host, had given them a booth far away from the other patrons. The place looked as if it were straight out of the fifties. The shiny red booth reminded April of an ice cream parlor her uncle Augie used to take her to when she was very little.

The first thing April noticed is that the mermaid only ordered a sparkling water. "Are you sure you aren't hungry?" April asked as Maggie, one of the waitresses, put the plate containing a spinach pie in front of her. With a mermaid around she wasn't about to order fish.

"Your kind of food does not interest me," she said with a hint of amusement. "I shall eat when I return to my home."

"Where's that?" April asked.

The mermaid shook her head. "I cannot tell you, especially with The Foot taking an interest in my temple. Michelangelo knows, but he shall not tell even his brothers. The location of my temple must be kept secrete."

"I understand," April said. "I guess that is why Mike kept you a secret all these years."

"I never wanted to upset their sensei, or the others," Lillian lowered her head sadly, and sipped her water. "And now I fear that I have caused great dissension among them."

"I see," April toyed with the food on her plate. "Normally I'd tell you to let it all settle down before doing anything, but if you think you're going to have a problem with The Foot..." April dropped her voice slightly.

Lilian nodded. "I may need Michelangelo's help. I would also like to rely on your help to watch over Michelangelo and his brothers."

"My help?" April asked.

Lillian nodded. "You are a woman. We share much in common, it is this commonality that allows you to be immune to my nature. There are things you understand deep within the core of your being that our male friends would not. It is this combination of femininity, and the deep sea that holds there interest in me. Michelangelo's brothers cannot balance these new instincts with what they already know. You can watch over them, and comfort them in their uncertainty."

"And when they need advice that they won't take from you directly or Mike, they'll trust me." April finished. "I guess I can see your point."

"And you can give them messages for me, that they would not take either." Lillian said. "You need not even tell them how you acquired the information."

April considered this. "I guess it's okay, as long as you don't try to take them away or bewitch them again."

"I never intended too," Lillian answered with a smile.
April ordered a second cup of coffee. "Can I ask you something?" When Lillian raised an eyebrow April continued. "Mikey doesn't seem to be very bedazzled by you. The others all complain about feeling torn in two, but not Mike. I even caught him contradicting you in the lair, and giving you orders. Why isn't he so under your control, and the others think they are."

Lillian laughed out loud at that. "It is several factors at once, most of which are hard to explain, but no, Michelangelo is not so under my control as the others may think. For starters he is very used to my energies and the energies of my sisters. Like the seals and dolphins, and the great whales he is sentient. The dolphins and whales tell tales of us and it is considered a great honor to serve us, but Michelangelo and his brothers never learned such things. Now Michelangelo knows these things so his instincts are not in combat with his intellect, and yet his inelegance can overcome the instincts when needed."

"So it's his familiarity, and his intelligence that keeps him from blindly obeying you?" April asked.

Lillian nodded, and finished her water. "It is also that Michelangelo, understands what he is, what his instincts are telling him. The others doubt the truth of what they're instincts say. All creatures of water know my kind. They know we are protectors and guardians for them, and their homes. This is why their instincts tell them to aid us in all things."

"Okay, I think I got it now," April said. "Mikey knows what your about, so he trusts his instincts about you, and because he's so used to them, he can actually go beyond them and tell you when he thinks your wrong."

"Exactly." Lillian looked out at the lowering sun, and said. "I need to go to my home. Given the information on The Foot that Michelangelo has given us, we need to plan more defenses." She rose to her feet, placed her hand into her pocket, and drew out a small pink ceramic looking flute.

"You are my ally now," she said formally. "If you are in great need blow the coral flute, two notes like this, and three like this." She showed April how to manipulate the flute. "If you do this, you will get help in a form you are quite used to." She didn't wait for other questions, she simply slipped out of the coffee shop, and was gone in the blink of an eye.

So now I'm the ally of one person the guys are afraid of, April thought as she stowed the coral flute away in her purse. I must be out of my mind.

Raphael usually never slept well, or easily. He was usually the last one to bed, the first one awake, and woke a half dozen times during the night, thinking he had heard intruders. This time though, laying in his own privet nook. staring at the ceiling, trying to figure things out, for some reason he ended up dozing off.

He found himself in a very odd dream. He was only seven years old, but instead of being healthy he was cold, his muscles hurt, and his stomach hurt. He was under an electric blanket and other warm bedclothes, but the heat couldn't penetrate his skin to warm him within.

Michelangelo was at his side. "It's gonna be okay, Raph." He said in his childlike alto. "Help is coming."

He had no idea what Michelangelo was talking about until a strange human looking face stared down at him from above.

"You... you're a stranger! There's a stranger in the -" He would have finished what he was saying, but she placed two fingers on his lips. Oddly enough that silenced him.

"Hush, Raphael. There is no need to be afraid," she said. She had a wonderful musical voice that captured his attention instantly.

Fear fell off of him like water. He stopped struggling, and looked at her quizzically. "Who are you?"

"She's my friend. She made Leo better before, and now she's going to make you better." Michelangelo said, confidentially

Raphael wasn't sure about this, but he didn't protest when she place a flask to his mouth.

"These are healing waters from my temple." She told him as he drank. "They will make you strong and healthy."

The water was warm compare to his body temperature, and it left a warm feeling in his stomach that was drawing the hurt out of his arms and legs.

"The healing works best if you rest little warrior," she said with a smile. She leaned down and placed a gentle kiss upon his forehead.."

Her kiss was so soothing and comforting, Raphael just closed his eyes, and let the dreams take him where they wanted him to go. He knew, without understanding how, that when he woke he would be well.

Mikey's friend had healed him.

Mikey's friend....

Was the mermaid

The realization was so shocking it actually woke Raphael from the dream. "Huh? He called out sitting up quickly. A wave of dizziness came over him so he lay back down, waiting for his vision to clear. Then slowly he got to his feet, and considered what he had dreamed.
That was the same girl from the docks. Okay so she's the mermaid, but that means Mikey was leveling with us when he told us she healed us, but Splinter kinda told us that was true. Why would I think of that now? After all these years?

As much as the idea didn't appeal to him, he decided to tell Leonardo about the dream. Maybe he could figure it out. Raphael left his room, and went immediately to the room on his right.

Leonardo's room was so immaculate it was unnatural. Leonardo was there, sitting upon his meditation pallet deep in concentration.

Raphael leaned against the doorway. "Uh Leo I don't wanna bug you but- Leo?"

Leonardo hadn't heard him come in. He didn't even move when Raphael spoke.

"Leo?" Raphael said again, and drew closer, but he didn't touch him. Leonardo during his meditation had somehow gotten himself into a deeper trance than he intended.

"Okay, this is new," Raphael said to himself. Splinter had dropped into deep trances like this, but never one of them. Mikey had the strange habit of having the odd premonition or so in his sleep, but he never actually meditated to get one. This was not something normal for Leonardo at all.

Even so, Splinter had given them rules how do deal with him when he dropped into a unplanned trance, and the basic rule was, do nothing. As long as he seemed okay they were to leave him alone. Only if he began to act as if the visions were a nightmare did they have permission to try to wake him.

Okay then same rules apply Raphael thought to himself. He did a casual back flip into Leonardo's bed, and decided to wait.

He didn't have to wait long. He had almost dozed off again, when suddenly Leonardo's body jerked, and his eyes flew open. "Huh?" He said to the room around him, he then relaxed, placed a hand to his forehead, and closed his eyes.

Raphael opened his eyes, and rolled over onto his side. "You back with us, Leo?" He asked resting his head in his hand, and propping himself on his elbow.

Leonardo took a few more deep breaths. "Raph? What are you doing here? What...what happened?"

Raphael couldn't help but tease. "You tell me, bro, I came in here to ask you something, but you had your 'out of body be back later' sign out. I figured you might want someone to keep the rest of you company while you were gone."

"Out of-"Leonardo paused, and tried to think for a moment. "I...I had a vision," he said finally.

"Lemme guess," Raphael said. "We were seven again, you were sick, and Mikey's finny girlfriend showed up, and gave you something to drink that made you feel better."

Leonardo now blinked, and looked at Raphael directly. "How did you know?" He asked.

Raphael sighed, he was starting to worry, and that made him ancy. He shifted his position on the bed until he was facing Leonardo eye to eye. "Because I was half asleep in my room, and I almost had the same exact dream. Only it was me sick that time."

Leonardo thought about that. "There was a month between my illness and yours." He said speculatively. " Both events may have happened."

"But why are we dreaming about it now, at the same exact time?" Raphael asked. "Do you think Mikey's friend is making us remember?"

Leonardo rose to his feet. "Maybe, or maybe you and I are just both stewing along the same lines of thought."

That idea actually got Raphael to relax. "Maybe," he agreed reluctantly. "Maybe we should go ask Master Splinter?"

Leonardo turned to face his brother, and smiled. "That's the first good idea you've had all night." Together they jumped down to the lower level of the lair, and moved slowly over to their sense's door.

From the back corner of the room they could hear Donatello on the phone, while his fingers clicked away at the keyboard.

"Hang on April," Donatello said, and then before Leonardo could knock on Splinter's door, said, "I wouldn't go in there if I were you two. Splinter said he didn't want to be disturbed."

Raphael sighed angrily. He glared at Leonardo. "Ahhh both of you. You drive me nuts!"

Leonardo couldn't help the grin at that. None of the others meditated unless made to by Splinter, and he would get just as annoyed as Splinter did when he was disturbed.

Donatello had already gone back to the conversation. He had the shell cell cradled between his chin and his shoulder while he typed out the information. "Informative," he said, " but I don't know if any of us are willing to make the experiment. Thanks for telling us though. Night."

Since their way to Splinter was blocked Leonardo moved over to where Donatello was working. "What was that all about."

"Guess who paid April a visit," Donatello answered. "Mikey's mermaid."

"What?" Now even Raphael was paying attention.

"April said basically Lillian asked her to keep an eye on us, make sure we were all right, and she apologized for the trouble she's been causing. "

"I knew it!" Raphael said clenching his fists. "She's the reason you and I were having those weird dreams."

"That would be a good trick," Donatello said. "According to April the mermaid told her she was heading out to wherever her temple was. She's pretty worried about The Foot." Then he turned to face them and asked, "What dreams?"

"Raph and I both had visions of Mickey's friend coming to us when we were sick," Leonardo explained. "You remember, when we were seven. When that sewage treatment plant backed up."

Raphael nodded. "Mikey said she healed us, but now we remember it happening. She somehow got into the lair, and gave us something to drink. Called it healing waters. Mikey was positive it would make us better."

Leonardo frowned at that. "That's not what happened in my vision. Mikey was as surprised to see her as I was. When he asked where she came from she told him that somehow he called her. He wished for me to get better, and she heard him, but he wasn't afraid of her, and he wouldn't get Splinter when I told him to."

Donatello placed his chin on his curled up fist. "This actually makes sense," he said. "You were sick first, right?" When Leonardo nodded, Donatello said, "So if he unaware that he had wished for her, he would be surprised to see her, but the next month when Raph was sick he would have been confidant she would come again."

"So they really are our memories," Raphael said thoughtfully. "What about you, Don. You remember anything about her."

"I was unconscious when she pulled me from the water, and it was two years earlier." Donatello reminded him. "I probably don't have any real memories from then. Even if I do, I'd probably dream about it same as you guys, and I haven't gone to bed yet."

"What are you doing?" Leonardo asked.

"I'm working on putting some microphones in the tunnels around the lair. April said that she heard something that could have been the mermaid singing before she and Mikey walked in."

"And you want recordings of that?" Raphael asked. "Don, it put us all to sleep!"

"I know," Donatello said, "But this way I can analyze the sound waves, and possibly find a way for us not to hear her"

"Are you going to find a way for us not to see her either?" Leonardo asked. "Because according to April all you had to do was see her for her to stop you in your tracks."
"One thing at a time," Donatello said. "Now I have to find somewhere to put them that will pick up the mermaid singing."

Raphael snatched one of the microphones off the table, and smiled. "I know just the place, and it might jog your memory too, Donny."

"Where?" Donatello asked.

"This is a bad idea, Raph" Leonardo said loudly over the rushing water. "We're not supposed to be near the river at all."

Raphael finished breaking the last board that sealed the tunnel to the river."Because of her," he said with a shrug. "And April said she cleared out, headed for open waters. She won't be here now.

"I still don't like it," Leonardo said. Even so he climbed in after Raphael, then reached out to take Donatello's bag from him.

"I have to agree with Raph on this," Donatello said speculatively, as he climbed through. "Most likely Mikey's friend gets in and out of the sewers through the river. This would be the best place to put a few microphones."

"I guess," Leonardo said. "But I'm still edgy about being here.

"Leo's edgy about something," Raphael whispered to Donatello, "but I don't' think its about being near the river."

"Leave it alone," Donatello answered as he hooked up the microphones to the wall. "He doesn't like thinking about her."

"I know," Raphael said, "but he's got to get a handle on it, or else he's gonna start losing it." He noticed a pipe jutting out near the water. Experimentally he tapped on it with his sai. The hollow echoing ring that came from the pipe made both Donatello and Leonardo jump.

"Raph!!" Leonardo said annoyed.

Donatello was also peeved. "Raph, would you try to remember that the last time I was down here I almost drowned!"

"Sorry," Raph said sheepishly. Suddenly he turned and said, "Hey guys, listen."

"What?" Donatello asked, still a little miffed.
"Shhh," Leonardo hushed Donatello. "I hear it too."

Donatello paused and listened. There was the sound of water falling.

"Lets take a look," Raphael said. Before the others could stop him he moved forward.

"Raph!" Leonardo called. "Wait for us! Slow down!"

From up ahead they could hear Raphael shout out excited. "Wow! Guys you got to see this!"

Donatello and Leonardo ran forward. The pipe that held the river opened out into a waterfall and a set of rapids that cascaded down twelve feet. There was a ledge on the far side where Raphael was standing taking in the breathtaking sight.

"Man! I had no idea this was down here!" Raphael said. Leonardo had to admit to himself that the sight of all that water falling down was quite impressive. Mineral formations had formed on the walls and floors of the area giving the abandon pipe a more natural appearance.

"The waterfall," Donatello said weekly. Suddenly he started to tremble, and lost hold on his bo staff.

"Woah!" Raphael said, catching the bo before it fell into the water, and jumped back across to join his brothers. "Don? Donny, tell us what's wrong."

Donatello backed up until his shell hit the wall. "The waterfall... I...I remember! I fell over the falls!" He closed his eyes, and looked away from the rushing tower of water.

"You fell over them?" Leonardo asked. He looked at the sharp jagged rocks that made up the rapids.

"No way," Raphael said, echoing Leonardo's thoughts. "There's no way you would have survived that at that age."

"No...."Donatello said gaining some composure. "She...she caught me before I hit the rocks. She was swimming up the waterfall."

"Up the waterfall?" Raphael said.

Leonardo moved to hold on to Donatello's shoulders. "Salmon swim up waterfalls, why not mermaids?" He said. Then turning back to Donatello he asked, "Can you remember anything else?"

Donatello suddenly grew very quiet. A small smile began to form. "Once she had me it...I wasn't scared anymore. I felt....safe." He opened his eyes, and looked directly at Leonardo. "I...I didn't pass out, like Splinter thought. I was just so comfortable, I just fell asleep."

"I think you swallowed a little too much water that day braniac," Raphael said shaking his head.
"No," Leonardo said, his voice suddenly growing cold. "That's how I felt when Mikey's friend ambushed me under the water. I forgot everything else except how wonderful it felt to be with her. Then she sang to me and I forgot everything. The next thing I knew I was waking up on the beach, and Mikey was there. " Suddenly he went back to his sterner voice. "Come on. Lets get out of here."

Coming next Chapter 7 A Learning Curve

The Foot were down there, in force, and not just any Foot either. Raphael began mentally counting the number of Foot Tech Ninja he saw. Man, there's over fifty of them. What are they doing here?

It didn't look too illegal for a change. It looked more like a training session, as if they were preparing to do something big later. Raphael took a glance over where he saw Michelangelo. A pair of seagulls had taken up roost with him. Michelangelo had turned his attention away from the scene below, and was staring at the birds again. He pointed, and the two gulls flew off to take positions closer to The Foot below.

I'm seeing it but I ain't believing it! The gulls are doing what he says! The two birds were now quiet close. Closer than even Leonardo could have gotten. Curious he started to pay attention to the training below. Suddenly someone grabbed him from behind. Before he could react Michelangelo had him pinned him to a support beam.