Chapter 14 Leo & Don in the mermaid's den

Donatello's tracker was working perfectly, but Leonardo was puzzled as they swam further and further out to sea. He turned on the speaker in the artificial gills they had stolen from the Foot. "Don, are you sure that thing is leading us in the right direction? "

Donatello nodded. "The signal's moved slightly to the south west. I have a good idea where it's taking us."

Leonardo pondered this as they continued to swim. "South west? Won't that take us to the mainland eventually."

"Not at first," Donatello explained. "There's something between us and the mainland that I think might be our target."

As if to confirm Donatello's guess A large metal pillar rose from the bottom of the ocean perching the surface above them. "Just like I thought," Donatello said. "Leo, do you know were we are?" When Leonardo shook his head no, Donatello explained. "This is the Verrazano Bridge, which means we're in the Narrows."

"That leads to the open sea," Leonardo answered concerned."

"I know but that's not where we're going," Donatello explained. "The signal is coming from over there," he pointed to a mountain of rock, an island to their right. "Staten Island."

"The mermaids live on Staten Island?" Leonardo asked puzzled.

"More likely under it," Donatello answered. "We just have to find a way in."

Donatello and Leonardo both began a slow circle of the island. Before they had barely begun, however a pair of silver torpedo shapes flew through the water to them. Leonardo wasn't sure what they were or how to fight them so deep under the water, but Donatello raised a hand to stop Leonardo from advancing.

"Easy Leo, They're dolphins. Atlantic Bottlenosed Dolphins to be precise, but they're usually not this far north in October."

The two dolphins circled Leonardo and Donatello twice, then one approached Donatello and chittered at him.

Donatello looked at Leonardo then back at the dolphin confused. "What do you think it wants, Don?" Leonardo asked.

"Considering it's the wrong time of the year for dolphins, I'm wondering if they haven't come from the mermaid's temple. They may be here to guide us." Donatello said. The dolphin chittered again as if it were answering him. It nudged Donatello's hand, and swam against him until the dorsal fin was up against Donatello's hand. "Come on, it wants to show us!" Donatello said excited he grasped firmly onto the dolphin's dorsal fin and it began to pull him away."

"Don! Wait!" Leonardo called out. He grabbed onto the second dolphin who pulled him after Donatello at a speed Leonardo couldn't believe. Then again as he felt the muscles bulging under the dolphin's skin and the force of the wake they were making as the dolphin's fluke pumped up and down in the water, maybe he could believe the speed at which they were going. Before he knew where they were going, the dolphins had made for a concealed cavern, and they were swimming up an access tunnel into the mermaid's stronghold.

As Leonardo's head broke the surface of the water he found himself in an open cavern of limestone and marble. The stones seemed to be giving off an iridescent light that illuminated the area as brightly as if it were a clear day above. They were in one of several pools that were scattered about a pathway. Along the walls were windows of some unknown clear substance that allowed the viewer to see the fish swimming about on the outside. A small splash behind Leonardo told him that Donatello had joined him.

"Fascinating," Donatello breathed softly. His eyes were wide as he took in everything in sight.

A light shove reminded Leonardo that they weren't the only water creatures in this pool. The dolphin looked up at Leonardo as if amused and again nudged him towards what appeared to be a shoreline covered in sand.

"I guess they're telling us that this is our stop," Donatello said with a smile.

Together they got to their feet and surveyed the transparent polished crystal walls that clearly showed dozens of different types of silvered fish peering at them.

"Blue fish, stripped bass, Leo, these are all local fish." Donatello said excitedly.

"I guess they figure they're safer here than in the open ocean," Leonardo answered. "But what about the dolphins, Don? They're not local are they?"

Donatello thought about it. "I've read books saying that in the summer when it's really warm, they come up this far north, but did you notice how warm it is in here? It's like a day in June."

Leonardo had noticed. Outside the mermaid's stronghold it was well into October. They days were nice enough, but the nights were cool to down right chilly. The moment they had entered the chamber they felt the air on his skin was warm and comfortable.

"Hey Leo look!" Donatello called to him. He moved over to another pool where seals were swimming happily with each other. A few of the furry mammals poked their heads out of the water and watched the two turtles curiously.

"Hey there," Donatello said gently. He reached his hand out to the seals who sniffed it cordially, then rubbed their heads against his hand.

Amused Leonardo offered his hand to the seals, but they swam away from him preferring to spend their time with Donatello.

"Careful Donny," Leonardo said warningly. "There's something funny about this place."

Donatello gave Leonardo a worried glance, but another pool caught his attention. "Leo, they have sea turtles here!" Sure enough the pool to their left contained sea turtles happily swimming about.

"No wonder Lillian is so fond of us," Donatello said, absently. One of the turtles swimming came over to Donatello curious, but swam away when Leonardo came over.

"It doesn't seem that I'm very welcome here," Leonardo said sadly.

"I guess they're kind of skittish right now," Donatello tried to reassure his brother, without much luck. Leonardo couldn't shake the idea that the animals were rejecting him. He almost voiced the thought when he suddenly heard Donatello gasp in shock. "Leo do you see that?"

Leonardo looked at the next pool where a school of odd looking fish with long snouts full of pointed teeth, were gobbling down some squid. When one of the creatures came up for air Leonardo reassessed his analysis. "It's some sort of strange dolphin isn't it?"

"It's not a dolphin," Donatello explained still looking at the creatures in shock. "It's an opthalmasarus, a type of ichthyosaur."

The name still puzzled Leonardo. "I've never heard of them."

"Most people haven't," Donatello said. Ichthyosaurs went extinct millions of years ago along with most other marine reptiles."

"Marine reptiles?" Leonardo echoed. Across from the Ichthyosaur enclosure, a reptilian snake like neck rose out of the water. "Don, what is that?"

Donatello blinked surprised again. "Cryptoclytes, a type of plesiosaur. They're supposed to be extinct too!"

Leonardo tried to ignore the odd buzzing headache that was beginning to form around his temples, and concentrate on what Donatello was telling him. These mermaids had extinct sea reptiles here? How was it possible As he mused over the thought he noticed something large swimming in the water. For some odd reason he suddenly had the feeling that the creature below him was sizing him up for a meal. "Donny?" Leonardo asked uncertainly backing away from the waters edge. "Did you see that in the water?"

"I was hoping I didn't," Donatello said worriedly. "I can't place the species. I just hope that he's not hungry.

"We've got to find Raph and Mikey, and get out of here." Leonardo said. "This area is like some kind of maze."

"Donatello frowned when Leonardo mentioned leaving. "I'm not sure you'll get Mikey to agree to go, Leo. These aren't just mermaids to him. These are his friends. He's not going to abandon them to The Foot."

"I know," Leonardo said, his voice was stressed. "I don't want him to abandon him I just want...." Leonardo trailed off as the pain throbbed just under his skull. "I just want this headache to go away."

Donatello put a comforting hand on Leonardo's arm. "Easy, Leo. Everything's okay. We're probably in their gardens or menagerie or something. The entrance to their main halls is probably –"

When Donatello broke off unexpectedly Leonardo, worried, looked up. Donatello was frozen in shock, his eyes as wide as pie plates. "Don?" Leonardo asked. "Donny, what's wrong?"

Donatello's voice was quiet with wonder. "Leo, look," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Leonardo turned to see what has shocked Donatello into silence. In the pool before them was the largest sea turtle he had ever seen. The heads of these turtles were as easily as big as his own shell, and their shells could have doubled as boats.

"Oh wow!" Leonardo breathed out. He couldn't think of what else to say. He was struck speechless, completely in awe of the giants before them.

"And to think we always thought we were big for turtles," Donatello said. He was just as amazed as Leonardo. Donatello slowly moved forward as if drawn by the massive creatures until he was waist deep in the water.

"Donny, be careful," Leonardo cautioned, but the warning was unnecessary. The huge sea turtle slowly swum right up to Donatello, and gently rubbed its head against him asking to be scratched. Laughing, Donatello obliged him.

"All the animals around here seem to like you Donny," Leonardo said amused. "But I don't think they're so thrilled with me."

"You're still fighting those instincts, Leo," Donatello said calmly as he gave each of the massive creatures a good scratch on their heads. "It makes all the animals here think you're an intruder. Look at these guys. These turtles are exactly like our ancient ancestors from 200 million years ago. This is why we have this connection to the mermaids."

Leonardo sighed defeated. "I ...I guess your right, Don. It's just that I don't want to cave into it. We're not just ordinary turtles; we're teenage mutant ninja turtles. With our training I'd like to think we'd have some control over our own minds mermaids or no."

"I told Lillian no before," Donatello said, gently giving the turtles one last pat. It may have sounded like a non-sequitur, but Leonardo understood why Donatello had said it.

"You told her no?" He echoed confused.

Donatello nodded, and sent the giant turtles on their way. "When Raph and I showed up to help her find Sylvia, she didn't want to put us at risk. She told me that we should go home, and she meant it too. I felt the tug to obey her, but I wanted to help her and shook it off. I told her she wouldn't be chasing Mikey away so I wasn't going to leave her either. Leo, giving into the instincts doesn't mean you blindly obey everything the mermaids say. It means you trust them, and treat them like friends."

Leonardo sighed deeply as he kept his eyes on the ground. "I just don't know, Don. I just can't bring myself to–"Leonardo broke off as he heard the sounds of fighting several yards off. "Do you hear that Donny?"

"Yeah, I do, and so do they," Donatello replied. Leonard turned to see the giant sea turtles and the other sea creatures raise their heads listening to the fighting. One by one they all dove for deeper waters.

"Sounds like trouble," Leonardo said, getting his bearings again. Fighting was something he could handle. "Let's go!"

Donatello jumped out of the water and drew his bo. Together,the two ninja turtles followed the sounds to an open hall where only a small waterway ran through from the menagerie to another chamber. Here they found Raphael deep in battle with fifty of the Foot Tech Amazons.

"Raph!" they both shouted simultaneously, but Raphael didn't seem to hear them. He was completely focused on trashing any Foot Tech Amazon within reach.

"No!" A small voice behind Leonardo exclaimed. He and Donatello both turned to see the young adolescent mermaid that had helped rescue them from the Foot.

"Sylvia!" Donatello said surprised.

Sylvia nodded in acknowledgment of Donatello, but her eyes remained fixed on Raphael. "He did exactly what Mike and I told him not to do! The temple has him now, and he can't wake up!"

"Wake up?" Donatello asked. "What do you mean?"

Leonardo didn't wait for an explanation. He charged into the crowd of Foot Tech Amazons, and fought them back into a corner. He struck a Foot Tech on the head with the pommel of his katana, and slapped another with the flat of his blades. If they could get the Foot to surrender it would be preferable to killing them. His only goal was to render the women unconscious.

Donatello was doing much of the same. As he fought Leonardo saw many women struck senseless from a blow of Donatello's bo.

Leonardo backed up from his opponent into Raphael's fighting circle. To his surprise his brother took a swing at him with his sai.

"Raph, watch out!" Leonardo shouted annoyed. Raphael didn't appear to hear him. He just turned and attacked another Foot Tech Amazon.

"Leo, something is wrong with him," Donatello called as he swung his bo knocking two of the last Foot down. "I don't think he really saw you."

Donatello's tone made Leonardo mentally translate the word "saw" to "recognize." That made him wonder about what the little mermaid had said. He knocked out the last Foot Tech Amazon, and began to turn to face Raphael when he found himself blocking an attack from his own brother.

"Raph!" Donatello shouted reproachfully, but it was as if Raphael didn't even hear him. He simply continued to go after Leonardo at full force. As he was blocking the blows Leonardo looked into his brother's eyes and only then understood. Raphael was in come sort of trance, and didn't know Leonardo for who he was.

"Raph, it's me, Leo!" he shouted as he fought back trying not to harm Raphael. "Snap out of it!" He wasn't sure what to do when suddenly the young mermaid, Sylvia, barreled into Raphael knocking him to the ground away from Leonardo. Raphael didn't even appear to recognize her as he tried to push her off of his plastron.

"Raph, no! You have to wake up!" She said. She glanced over at Donatello who was steadying Leonardo and said, "This will help." And then she began to sing.

The first thing Leonardo noticed about Sylvia's singing was that the tempo and pitch of her song was different from the adult mermaids. Still Leonardo found his body relaxing, reacting to the eerie hypnotic tune. He shook his head firmly and said, "No! Stop–" Donatello hushed him, before he could finish the sentence.

"Wait, Leo," he said. "Look."

Sylvia was still seated on top of Raphael's chest pinning his arms back, and still singing softly. Raphael was listening intently watching her with half closed eyes. Sylvia stopped singing and eased off of him. Leaning over, she whispered softly into his ear. "Raphael, wake up." Raphael closed his eyes, and sighed deeply for a second then opened his eyes again and blinked sleepily, as if awakening from a dream.

"Siv?" Raphael sat up slowly shaking his head firmly to clear it. Sylvia sat at his side and reached over taking his hand in hers.

"Sylvia!" Raphael finally seemed to see her. "What are you doing here? I thought Mikey and your grandma told you to go to your room. It's dangerous with all the Foot around." He still hadn't noticed Leonardo and Donatello watching them.

"Mike wanted me to watch out for you." Sylvia replied. "He knew you wouldn't be able to resist listening to the song of the temple."

Suddenly Leonardo understood. "It's that humming I've been hearing since Don and I got here. It's that noise that's been giving me a headache."

Silvia looked at Leonardo sternly. "It wouldn't give you a headache if you'd stop telling yourself that you don't belong here."

Leonardo's voice snapped Raphael into full awareness of his surroundings. "Leo? Don? When did you guys get here?"

Leonardo ignored the question, and still focused his attention on Sylvia. "What did this temple do to Raphael? Why didn't he recognize me?"

"Huh?" Raphael was confused at the questioning. "What are you talking about, Leo?"

Donatello answered instead, helping Raphael to his feet. Sylvia stood too keeping on hand on Raphael at all times. "What do you remember just before Sylvia jumped you?"

Raphael frowned, thinking. "I was fighting the Foot Tech Amazons, but something was happening. It was like I was on automatic. It felt great! They couldn't lay a hand on me. I never felt so strong before in my life. There was another intruder but...but..." Raphael stopped and looked up at Leonardo. "It was you?"

Leonardo nodded. "Do you know why you couldn't recognize me?"

Raphael shook his head. "I don't know. I couldn't stop. I didn't want to stop. It was like I was connected to someone else's head, and they told me you were an intruder. I tried to stop but I couldn't."

Leonardo turned back to Sylvia who nodded understanding. "It was the song of the temple. It's connected to the Earth Power. It is the power that sustains us in time of danger. Those who take in the earth power become one with the song, and gain great strength and stamina."

"That explains Raph's high," Leonardo said thoughtfully, but that doesn't tell me why Raph went after me like that."

"I think I know," Donatello said looking up at the walls. "Giving into the temple's song, gives him access to this Earth Power but it comes at a price. You become susceptible to what the building is telling you."

"What do you mean what the building is telling him?" Leonardo asked. "All I hear is that constant humming."

Sylvia looked up, in shock, at Donatello. "You can understand our songs?"

"I guess," Donatello said. "When Lillian sang Mikey that healing song, it did something to me too. I said in my dreams I wanted to understand more of who you're people were, and ever since then I've understood the words behind your singing, or at least the meaning. If I concentrate I can understand the building too. It's been trying to drive Leo away since we got here. That's why the animals kept rejecting him, and when Raph was caught by the temple's song he went after him as if he was another intruder.

Sylvia nodded. "The temple is trying to drive all intruders away, but it wouldn't be hurting Leo if he stopped acting like he doesn't belong here. I know you guys weren't originally sea turtles, but the water is your home, and you are part of our protectorate. You belong with us. That's why I sent the dolphins to bring you in."

Leonardo tried to set his will against the hum, but that only made his head hurt more. "No we don't," he argued back. "I belong in the sewers with my sensei Master Splinter. Angry for no apparent reason he glared at Donatello and Raphael. "You both remember Master Splinter don't you?"

That got Raphael angry. "Leo–" he began warningly, but another voice cut him off.

"Yes Leo, we remember Master Splinter. I also remember that he said I could come and help my friends."

All three turtles turned to see Michelangelo leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his plastron, one foot resting on the wall, and a smug grin played across his face.

Leonardo and Donatello were struck speechless. Sylvia ran forward and jumped into Michelangelo's outstretched arms. "Did I do a good job Mike?"

Cheerfully Michelangelo picked up the young mermaid, tossed her into the air, and caught her again before setting her gently back on the ground. "You bet, sweet thing! You did exactly what I wanted."

"Raphael frowned at that. "Wait a minute! I distinctly heard you tell our Small Fry here, to go to her rooms!"

Again Michelangelo's smile was all mischief. "You're right Raph, that's what I said, but Siv here heard what I didn't say."

Donatello got that instantly. "Mermaids are telepathic. No matter what you were saying out loud Sylvia can hear what you were thinking on the sly to her."

Michelangelo nodded, and tousled Sylvia's hair. "Yep, she knew I wanted her to keep an eye on Raph, and watch for you guys too. The Oracle told us you were coming."

"But why would you have to communicate on the sly with her?" Leonardo asked. "Why hide anything from the others."

"Not all the others," Raphael answered a knowing grin crossing his face. "It's that one old mermaid that doesn't like you. She's the one that wanted me to guard the entrance alone. "

"There are mermaids here that don't like you?" Leonardo was almost amused by that. "I thought they all loved you."

"Murial doesn't like anything new." Sylvia said rolling her eyes. "Mother's colony uses machines and computers. Murial thinks they will expose us."

"I couldn't help but notice Mikey rubs her the wrong way," Raphael said. Sylvia frowned at that.

"She thinks that the four of you are unnatural because you are mutants," she said sadly. "Grandmother has tried to explain to her that you could not have controlled your fate, and if the earth did not wish you to survive you would have been destroyed years ago, and that you would be a great help and asset to our kind, but Murial is so sure that she is right, she will listen to nothing we say."

"Murial is a pain, that's what she is," Michelangelo said forcefully. "She's always trying to set me up to screw up anything I do down here. And she's always talking trash about me."

"Sylvia reached out and took Michelangelo's arm comfortingly. "Grandmother will never let her drive you from us."

Michelangelo smiled and hugged the girl back. "Benten should be careful anyway. Murial hates her too, and not just because of me."

Sylvia nodded. "She is jealous because she is many hundreds of years older than my grandmother, but she cannot become a matriarch. She will never get a rank higher than she has now."

"Why can't this Murial became a matriarch?" Leonardo asked. This sounded like a lot of intrigue, and it was something he wanted to be aware of.

"In order to become a matriarch, one must be a mother first, so that she can be mother to the colony," Sylvia explained. "Murial never won for herself a husband and has never had daughters. Grandmother says that's why she's so angry all the time."

"Like Murial could ever be mellow enough to win a husband," Michelangelo muttered. When Sylvia glanced over to him he said sheepishly, "but you didn't hear me say that."

"One of these days Mike, someone is going to hear you say that." Sylvia said with a grin. "You're going to start a big fight."

Michelangelo grinned mischievously. "Aww come on Siv, give a turtle some credit. I never say it in front of anyone who'd turn me in. Besides everyone knows it's true."

Leonardo sighed. "Why am I guessing that even though what you're saying about this Murial is true, it still wouldn't be polite to say to her face?"

"He has said it to her face," Sylvia said with a grin. "Just not in front of Benten or a High Council member."

Suddenly a fur seal lumbered up to Sylvia,and began barking non-stop. Both Sylvia and Michelangelo looked at each other in shock. "Oh no, here we go again!" Michelangelo said.

"What is it Mikey?" Donatello asked.

"More of The Foot Amazons are on the way," Sylvia said. "It is the second wave, and one of the leaders is with them."

"Siv, tell Benten I'm staying here now. I'll do more good fighting down here. They won't get to the lower chambers then." Michelangelo told her. He then asked the fur seal, "Which way are they coming in?"

The fur seal barked again then headed back to the waters. As Michelangelo watched their messenger leave he said, "You too Siv, hit the waters. Get yourself somewhere safe while we entertain the company. "

"I'm not leaving you," Sylvia insisted. "What if you need me again?"

"I didn't say go to your rooms," Michelangelo said slyly. "I just want you where you won't get hurt."

"Mikey's right, Small Fry," Raphael said. "Best get yourself somewhere safe. We don't want you getting hurt."

"If you want to stay close just stay under the water." Donatello suggested. "The Foot Amazons won't think to look for anyone there if we're fighting them."

Sylvia sighed pensively. "All right, but I'm staying close in case you need me."

Michelangelo sighed and hugged her, kissing her on top of the head. "That's my girl. You'll see, we'll be done in no time."

A sound was heard in one of the outer tunnels leading to this chamber. "Time to make like a gold fish, girl friend." Michelangelo said. "Tell your grandma we'll be busy here for a while."

Sylvia nodded and dove for the water. In seconds she was gone. As the four readied themselves for the fight, Leonardo asked, "Mikey, how do we keep what happened to Raph, from happening again?"

"It's cool, Leo, Siv's watching Raph's head now," Michelangelo said unconcerned. "The temple can't catch him again without her knowing, and if it does she'll just knock it out of him again."

That told Leonardo that Michelangelo was very aware of what had happened just before he, and Donatello arrived. Leonardo wasn't sure if that information comforted him or not. Michelangelo knew what he was doing. He knew everything they needed to know about this magical mermaid temple, and Leonardo knew that he didn't know anything. Not used to depending on Michelangelo, Leonardo felt very out of control, and he didn't like it. A second later Leonardo forced all of his doubts into the back of his mind. The Foot Amazons were attacking again.

The odds were nearly ten to one, but those were good odds to the four turtles. Leonardo found he could forget where he was in favor of defending the chamber from The Foot ninjas. As before, every single ninja was a female equipped with the Foot Tech armor. However, they didn't appear to be able to become invisible. Donatello figured out why.

"It's the salt water around here," Donatello told Leonardo as he and his brother were back to back fighting The Foot. "The salt is probably corroding the wiring needed to maintain their invisibility." They were still strong and fast, but at least they could see them. The only one who wasn't wearing the armor was the young woman leading the Foot Tech Amazon. She also didn't appear to need it. She was a vicious and effective fighter, managing to throw Raphael to the floor, and beat back Michelangelo with a forceful kick. Then she tried to escape through an arched doorway behind him.

Leonardo flipped over a Foot Amazon, and kicked her from behind then took two more leaps to land in front of the same doorway. Without thinking twice Leonardo raced through the doorway.

Michelangelo partially stunned by the kick shook his head to clear it as he saw Leonardo enter the same doorway his opponent had. "Leo no!" He shouted. "You can't... go in there?" He got to his feet and raced over to the doorway, but as he had expected there was no longer a passage there. Just a sheet of white marble.

Donatello came up behind him. "Mikey, where's Leo? Most of the Amazons ran out the way they came. We got some of them but– Mikey what's wrong?"

At that moment Raphael joined them as well. "What are you guys standing around for! Leo went after that ninja that was training the Foot Amazons. We have to go after them!" Raphael pushed his way past his brothers and went to where the door used to be. "What's going on?" He demanded. "What happened to the door?"

Sylvia was the last to join them. "Leo went in there?" She asked. "Mikey that way leads -"

"I know!" Michelangelo cut her off. "How are we going to get him out of there?"

"Out of there?" Slowly the thought began to dawn on Raphael. "You mean he's trapped in there? Raphael began beating on the marble barrier in an attempt to free Leonardo from whatever trap he had stumbled into.

Michelangelo lowered his head and shook it in a resigned no. "That isn't going to work Raph. Leo's on his own now."

Trying not to allow his voice to tremble Donatello said, "First Raph gets hypnotized by the very walls of this place, and now Leo gets swallowed by a doorway. Mikey, what kind of place is this?"

Michelangelo looked away from them, and didn't answer.

Coming Soon Chapter 15 The Trial of Air

Finally he couldn't stand it any longer. "This isn't right," Leonardo said facing them all. "What's going on here?"

His three brothers and sensei looked at him oddly. "Aren't you happy Leo?" Michelangelo asked ?

"Is this not what you wanted?" Splinter asked.

What I wanted? There was definitely something about this that wasn't right.

"What does what I want have to do with this?" Leonardo asked suspiciously. "Weren't we supposed to be helping Mikey's friend Lillian and the mermaids?"

"Mermaids?" Michelangelo and the others laughed. "Bro, there's no such thing as mermaids."

"Mermaids are just a myth," Donatello added.

Now Leonardo knew that this wasn't real. There was no imagining that feeling that he had since they set foot inside of the mermaid's stronghold. "This is the myth!" Leonardo lashed out at the illusion. "None of this is real! I can still feel that I'm in the mermaid's temple! Now stop this right now and let me go!"

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