Part 7
Raylene's Council
Slowly the fogginess of sleep drifted away to the clear consciousness of a newly awoken. Raylene stretched until she was sprawled out on the couch the warm blanket sliding onto the floor. She smiled to herself realising Leo must have put it on her once she'd gone to sleep. She glanced around the room looking for a clock and finally found it sitting atop of the TV. The glass was broken but the clock still worked and informed Raylene it was 4.30am, strange she concluded, but then she'd remembered she'd woken up because a door had creaked and shortly after feather light footsteps had walked past the couch. She knew she wasn't in danger so she hadn't sprung into action, but it was obvious this person wanted to be alone. She slowly stood from the couch stretching again before her cat like ears raised up, she could hear them, whoever it was, was out on the old rail tracks a couple of tunnels along. Slipping on her coat to shield her from the cold she set off in search of them, the last thing she wanted right now was having to go on another rescue mission. Being familiar with the dank and dark of the underground tunnels made it short and easy work for Raylene to reach the other train tracks undetected. Their sat on the platform feet hanging over the edge was Leo.
She stood in the shadows just watching him, he seemed upset probably from their recent discovery. She wanted to go and give him some form of comfort, but right now he thought he was alone and it was the only reason she could really see how he felt. Minutes passed by and eventually Leo moved slightly, his head rose up as if listening for something but was straining to do so, at length he said," You can come out Raylene, I know your there"
From the shadows the edges of Raylene's mouth upturned in a smile, yet she was intrigued how he knew she was there. He was a ninja and that made him better than most yet no one had ever been able to detect if she was there or not if she was in hiding. Stepping out of the shadows and onto the platform she walked up to then sat down next to Leo.
"What are you doing out here?" she inquired.
"Couldn't sleep" he replied.
"Well, it can't be dreams that keep you awake tonight" said Raylene.
As she finished her statement Leo looked her straight in the eyes and asked, "How did you know about my dreams?"
"Oh, well, I…err….created them" said Raylene quite sheepishly.
"You made them"
"Well, yes, I have the gift of occasionally foreseeing the future in dreams which I can then share with whoever it involves," said Raylene looking down at the tracks.
An awkward silence fell after that so Raylene decided to break the ice first in an attempt to get Leo to open up a little more.
"If dreams are not the reasons for your being here…..then what is?"
He sighed heavily as if deciding whether he should say anything or retreat back into the lair. He looked at her as if deciding whether he should burden her with his thoughts or not before again sighing deeply.
"I was thinking about what you told us tonight" he admitted.
She looked sideways at him with a wry smile on her face before saying, "Have you slept at all tonight?"
At that he looked down at the rails avoiding her gaze before admitting, "No"
"What is troubling you then, that you couldn't sleep?" she asked.
"Its just…." He started but then faded as if deciding he shouldn't.
"Go on" she encouraged.
"I can't believe all this time he's known and he never told us," he said in a slightly raised voice.
A moment passed in which Raylene seemed to think how to answer him eventually she spoke.
"Leo…Splinter has reasons for everything he does, I'm sure he only didn't tell you so as not to disappoint you"
"But, he knew"
"He did it too keep you safe, Leo" she reasoned.
He sighed again before getting to his feet and walking over to sit down on the bench instead.
"He loves you Leo, he was just trying to protect you" Raylene said looking back at him.
Silence reigned the only sound between them was their slow and steady breathing, and the wind blowing through the underground tunnels. Raylene turned back round head bowed looking down at the old track leaving Leo to his thoughts. Some time later with her sharp hearing she heard the six faint chimes from a clock in the lair. Outwardly she didn't move a muscle inwardly she was surprised how much time had passed then she felt someone's presence directly behind her. She turned round to come face to face with Leo. When she jumped slightly he smiled.
"Your right Raylene, Splinter does have a reason for everything and if he didn't tell us I'm sure there was a reason for that too. He's got our best interest at heart and I'm sure he did this time" said Leo
His head had bowed down to look at the platform floor but Raylene prevented him from staying that way when her hand lifted up his chin and made him look at her.
"Just have faith in those you believe and love Leo" she whispered.
He stared into her eyes a moment, they were beautiful the perfect blend of bright orange and blue, they were what gave her, her strange uniqueness, but he loved them. Equally she stared right back at him, she felt him take her hand from under his chin into his own, his other cupping the side of her face. They were still looking at each other the distance between them shortening their eyes slowly began to close when they were just centimetres apart. There lips were getting closer now practically touching when the tapping of a wooden cane in lair made their heads snap in that direction. The tapping gradually faded again and two looked back at each other.
"I'm sorry," he said releasing her.
"Don't be," she said as they both stood up.
He smiled at her and together they made their way back into the lair.
It was just after six now so the others were still asleep, only Splinter was awake sat in the kitchen with a mug of hot steaming tea. As they made to enter the kitchen Raylene walked in first with Leo directly behind her.
"Morning sensei" they greeted in unison.
"Good morning, my students" he replied.
Leo walked over to the pizza box and discovered a couple of slices of cold pizza and decided that would do for breakfast while Raylene dove into the fridge to get a glass of milk. She sat down at the table glass in hand and watched Leo bring the pizza box onto the table
"Here" he said pushing the box in her direction.
Her face became masked in confusion and she looked about to ask a question when Michelangelo bright and breezy as always came into the kitchen.
"Morn'in Mikey"
"Morn'in Dudette"
She smiled then looked back at the box Leo had placed on the table and looked at its contents warily.
"Err…Leo..what is this?" she asked.
"What's what?" said Donatello coming through the door.
"Pizza" replied Leo.
"Pizza?" asked Raylene.
"You've never had pizza?" asked Leo.
"Err…I can't say that I have" answered Raylene.
"You're kidd'in me" said Mike.
"Girl doesn't get out enough," said Raph joining the others in the kitchen.
Raylene cowered back a bit being the centre of attention, she was not used to being put in the spotlight and wondered why this seemed so important when Splinter's aged voice spoke.
"You must forgive my sons behaviour, Raylene," said Splinter with some hint of amusement. "But, this is my sons main source of food, so to come across someone who has never had it is very unusual, but then they also do not appreciate your condition"
"Of course, Sensei" realising he directed all attention back to her and the turtles were now looking for an explanation.
"I rarely need to eat," explained Raylene.
"My mother was a cat and she never really had to eat much either, I'm not really sure why and I inherited this when I was born. I only need to eat properly about once a week the rest of the time I can survive on milk and because our home a bit out of town and we lived in an agricultural area we just lived off the land with whatever the local farmers would provide us with" finished Raylene.
"I thought you said people don't know about mutants?" said Donatello.
"They don't. My father was human and he'd go and get the food we needed," said Raylene.
"Do they live at this organisation thing?" asked Raph.
"They never knew about it, it was formed after their deaths," said Raylene her head lowering while she said this.
"We're sorry" said Donatello.
"Don't be, it was a long time ago," said Raylene standing then washing her glass out in the sink.
"How did they…ya know?" asked Raph.
Raylene flinched visibly like she'd been slapped the face, her ears drooped and her tail hung down between her legs.
"I would rather not say," she said walking out of the kitchen.
"Nice go'in" said Mike.
"I was just ask'in"
Leo stood to go after her but was stopped by an old gnarled hand on his arm.
"Let her go Leonardo"
"But she…"
"She has never fully accepted what happened that day, but it changed her into the woman you see today" he explained.
"What happened, Sensei?" asked Leo.
"She has never confided to tell me," he admitted.
"Why?" he asked.
"I do not know, my son"
Silence had fell over the kitchen for a moment the only sound was each turtle going about getting breakfast until Splinter spoke.
"Please join me in the dojo in ten minutes, my sons"
"Yes, Sensei" they answered.
With that Splinter left the kitchen in the direction of the dojo where the sound of a punching bag taking a heavy beating was coming from. He entered and the door closed behind him and the rapid and quick beating sound ceased.
The four turtles looked at one another then put the pizza box aside washed their glasses and made their way to the dojo. Upon entering they discovered a fully clad up Raylene, she had donned her hat and shades once more and now stood before the old rat, their Sensei who sat on a large stuffed pillow.
"Today my sons, you will train with Raylene," announced Splinter.
"Michelangelo" he said.
The four turtles did a warm up kata before Michelangelo stood before Raylene while the other three went and sat down on the benches.
"I'll go easy on you if ya like"
"Save it Michelangelo for your enemies won't do you such a favour" she said not unkindly.
"Alright," he said sounding a little unsure.
Raylene withdrew her katanas from their sheaths on her back and prepared to fight. They faced Leo watching eagerly having fought her before he was now just able to observe and had to admit she really was good. He also noticed that Mikey had soon reconsidered his option of going easy when Raylene sheathed one of her katanas after disarming Michelangelo of one of his nun chucks. She disappeared for a second where none of them could locate her then she appeared again with Mikey's fallen nun chuck. She had now even the odds when she had had the advantage and had sheathed her other katana now making them equal with just one nun chuck. He went to wrap his nun chuck around her wrist then to hopefully step behind her and bring her to the ground while disarming her but she blocked and instead she delivered a blow to his head then to his wrist making him drop the chuck but before it hit the ground, Raylene's tail caught it lifting it into her hand. Michelangelo was now completely disarmed and Raylene holding both his weapons. The three observing turtles looked on in awe at her abilities, as she seemed to disappear again. Michelangelo fell to the floor and Raylene appeared beside him with katana in hand. She sheathed it then offered her hand to help him back up and together they bowed to Master Splinter.
"How'd ya do that, Raylene?"
"It's my cat instincts, with them it allows me to move faster than normal and it's why you can't see me," she explained.
"Okey" said Mikey grabbing a water bottle from under the bench and draining it.
"So" said Raylene. "Who's next?"
And with that the training ensued.
TBC…
