A/N: Okay, it's official. I'm in love with this story. I can't stop writing it! Although that's not a bad thing…:)

Lunar-ninja: Yikes. I have a feeling you don't like villains too much.

Chibi Rose Angel: Wow, you have no idea how happy I was to get your review! Mostly because it was nice and long and you like my story! Yay! As for all your questions, the most I can say right now is- wouldn't you like to know? Mwahahahaha! (ahem) Right…trust me, I'm an oddball too. Don't worry about it.

Lady-Of-The-Rings: Glad you like my story, here's me updating because I'm impatient. Lol.

Pacphys: Okay, lets see…we'll curse the architect, the decorator, the king or whoever it was ordered the palace built, and OH! Let's curse that little bug over there. Thanks for reviewing, I'm updating now. Obviously…

PossDownUnder: Honestly dudette, I really appreciated your insight. So thanks!

As soon as Coen had dragged his sorry lying butt out the door, Henry got up and locked it. "No more interruptions." He assured me, coming back to where he had been sitting before. I once again had Henry's attention. But now I wasn't really sure if I wanted to tell him.

"I…um…just uh…I wanted to…to… ask you for a job!" I blurted out.

Henry looked at me curiously. "A….job?"

"Yeah!" I said, excited now. A plan was unfolding in my head as I spoke. "I was in the stables earlier. I was wondering if I could maybe help out there?"

Henry looked as though he was considering it. Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes, please say-

"Very well."

I blinked and looked up from where I had been staring at the floor. "Huh?"

"I said, very well. You may help Collin in the stables if you wish, although it is a strange request."

"Thank you! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" My words came out in a jumbled rush, but I didn't care. First part of The Plan I Just Made Up was complete.

"Is there anything else?" Henry asked me.

I shook my head. "Nope. Thanks again!"

He smiled. "Not a problem at all. If you happen to see Coen, send him in again, would you?"

I nodded, although I was reluctant to leave my new friend on his own with Coen. I had a feeling he'd be all right for now, though. I left the room feeling strangely exhilarated. I had actually come up with a somewhat realistic plan to help the king, without him ever knowing.

I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at Coen as I passed him on the steps. He raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner, and I gave him a curt nod. Go see the king you whacked out wizard. I don't care anymore – I'm going to bring you down!

Humming happily to myself, I made my way back down the stairs, hopefully to find the stable in which I had found myself earlier.

"Ah, so ye're back, are ye?" Collin commented as I once again found my way into the stable. "Not lost again?"

"Nope," I said, "I'm going to help you!"

Collin looked more than a little surprised. "Help? Help with what?"

I waved my arms, indicating the whole stable. "Everything. Just tell me what to do. Henry said I could help you – I don't have anything better to do." It probably wasn't wise to tell him of my plan until I was sure he was on my side, and I had all the facts straight. No, best to keep it to myself for the present moment.

Collin regarded me suspiciously for a moment, then sighed resignedly. "Well, it'll be good ta have some help 'round here…" he admitted. "Ever since we lost the last stable boy."

"Lost?" I asked, careful to keep my voice curious, but not eager.

"Aye." Collin said. "I guess ye weren't here yet durin' the big thing. Had me a new stable boy, the best one ye could get, too. Strong young man, always willin' ta lend a hand. But one night, there was a storm. He went ta check on the horses, seein' as thunder spooks 'em."

"And?" I prompted, lowering myself onto a rain barrel.

"Well now, here's the odd thing. Boy never came back. He went ta check on the horses, and that's the last I've ever heard o' him. Disappeared right into thin air, he did."

"He could've just run away," I reasoned, although it didn't seem probable.

"Coulda." Collin agreed. "But I don' think he did. For one thing, his folks blamed me for his disappearin.' Couple o' days later, they find the cross he was always wearin' 'round his neck in the mud in the moor. Strange place, that. People started accusin' me o' bein' a devil or a demon, kidnappin' their little boy. I tell ya I didn.' Don' know what happened to him, but I didn' do anything."

"Anyway," he continued, "No one would hire me on anymore, 'cept Coen, that mage fellow. He put in a good word for me with the king, told him I had nothin' to do with it. I don' know how he knew, but it don' matter. I still got a job."

I was silent, taking this all in. Coen obviously had a huge influence over this place. That would make this harder for me, but I was always up for a little challenge. What bothered me was the disappearance of the stable boy. How did Coen know that Collin didn't do anything? What if Collin had done something?

My musings were interrupted as Collin shoved a shovel into my hand. "Ye said ye were here ta work." He told me firmly, pointing to a stable. "Time ta work."

I sighed, threw the shovel over my shoulder, and spent the rest of the afternoon in a corner, shoveling horse crap into another corner. Just the kind of job I've always wanted.

I was in the stables for hours. I don't know how long, but it had been dark for quite a while when I finally dragged myself up to the castle again. I felt like I had just been hit by a truck, then put through one of Splinter's punishment exercises. I felt good though, as if I had accomplished something big. I hadn't, but who cares. The feeling was there.

It took me about five years to finally make my way to the foot of the stairs leading up to Henry's big old circle room. (I still didn't know what to call it). I stared up the stairs in contempt. I really, really didn't want to climb up them. I even contemplated the idea of just going to sleep right on the steps. But no, ninjas don't fall asleep on steps. At least, I hope not. Sighing, I placed my foot on the first step, and began to make my way up them.

After what seemed like an eternity, I pushed open the door and stumbled into the room. No one was there anymore; I suspected they had all gone to bed. Not a bad idea in my opinion. Not wanting to climb yet another set of stairs to wake up Henry and ask him where I could sleep for the night, I just curled up on one of the couches by the bed. I'd probably end up on the floor in the morning, but I didn't care. At least I'd be asleep.

However, once I had gotten myself all comfortable on the couch, I found I couldn't sleep. I tried counting sheep, but it didn't work. Whoever came up with that stupid idea anyway? Who wants to count sheep? They never move, they just stand there and eat grass to poop it out later.

Staring at the decorated ceiling, I took out one of my nunchucks and just idly began fooling around with it, trying to get to sleep. Unfortunately, gravity works, and one end of the nunchucks came down and hit me in the face.

Groaning, and rubbing my head, I flipped over on my stomach, contemplating this and that. I still couldn't believe there was no pizza, but I had survived so far.

Soon my thoughts came back to Coen. I don't know how I got from pizza to Coen, but stranger things have happened. I decided I was going to try and find out more about him tomorrow. I'm not exactly Donnie, but I can figure things out. I just need more time. And it looked like I was going to have a lot of it. Coen was supposed to send me home somehow, but I don't know how that was going to happen when I didn't trust him and he obviously didn't trust me.

Thinking about getting sent home got me to actually think about home – and my brothers and Master Splinter. Suddenly I had this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. Turning over my nunchucks in my hands, I realized I was homesick. I wasn't sure how long I'd been gone. At least a day. I wondered if Leo was driving everyone nuts looking for me. They wouldn't find me in New York, no matter how hard they looked.

Turning over to my back, I decided right then and there I was going to do everything in my power to take Coen down and force him to bring me home. I needed to be in New York, in 2005, not in some medieval castle just because some people are acting weird. Let them deal with it. I wanted to go home.

Hugging my nunchucks tightly to my chest, (probably not a good idea now that I think about it), I finally drifted off into sleep.

A/N: Sorry if this chapter seemed a bit boring, but it needed to be written. You'll see why later.