Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT franchise.
Chapter 6Master Splinter's point of view
I was sitting in a Lotus position, meditating. All of the lights in my room were off except for the solitary candle burning brightly, while the lit incense mingled in the air. I inhaled deeply as I began to clear my mind and lower my heart rate.
Next, I began to take slow and even breaths. I was trying to reach out to Donatello. I feared that he was in grave danger and that it was a top priority that I help him. Inhaling deeply once again, I focused all of my energies on my son, reflecting on him and his life in the hopes of making a connection.
I realized that all of my sons had changed within the last two years, but it was Donatello that had changed the most. He seemed more withdrawn and depressed. He could barely stand to be around his brothers for a long period of time anymore, and now I knew why.
He was still hurting.
He could not come to terms with the sad reality that was death. I understood his fear of losing his brothers, because no one ever wants to face the possibility of living life without a loved one. I knew that despite one's wishes, however, death was not something to be taken lightly.
Whether you like it or not, when the time comes death will eventually claim you as its prize. No matter who you are, you cannot escape death. Perhaps that was what Donatello had been struggling with. For once in his life, he did not have an immediate answer and that unnerved him.
Then again, I may also be partly to blame for his feelings. I knew that my son was deeply troubled, and yet nothing I had tried proved helpful. Meditation, training, and words of encouragement and wisdom could only go so far. He needed me to be a father and not his sensei. There were times, however, where I tried talking to him, but he would always look at me with such sad eyes and insist that he was perfectly fine.
I relentlessly persisted, trying every available method known to man to have him open up his heart to me. But when he left the lair without telling anyone this evening, it confirmed that perhaps I had been too forward. By trying to help him, I had only pushed him further away. My heart was heavy with regret, but my thoughts were now crystal clear as I started to search for my son.
It was like going through a maze. I traveled in every direction, but the result was always the same. There was always no means of escape. Every passage ended with a thick steel door blocking my path. Hazy mists slowly lapped at my feet, and every time it seemed as though I was getting closer to my son, the mist would become too thick.
I was close to giving into despair and panic, but I wouldn't do it. My son needed me and I was not going to fail him again. Taking a long and relaxing breath, I willed myself to calm down. I could not give up, because Donatello's life force was still evident.
I just needed to concentrate harder and so, blocking out everything except for my son's essence, I went to another door. This one was a deep shade of sapphire with lines of silver sketched throughout. As I stood before the door, I faintly heard a small whisper.
"Master Splinter."
Those two words were enough for me to finally reach him. Unbridled joy shot through my entire being. My son was right behind that door! My heart rate began to accelerate, as did my breathing. I placed my hand, which was trembling with excitement, on the door handle and opened it.
As the door slowly opened, fog began pouring out and encasing me in an unbearably thick and heavy uncomfortable blanket. I could barely make out Donatello's silhouette, but I what I was able to see brought tears to my eyes.
He was in some sort of room used for confinement, his arms and legs bound in shackles that were chained to the wall. He could not move, and upon further inspection I noticed that there were a few cuts and scrapes marring his arms and legs. Other than that, he seemed to be in good health. At least for the moment.
His head was downcast and I could practically feel the waves of despair emanating from him. Greatly concerned for his wellbeing, I reached out and attempted to make contact, but before I could get any closer, I felt an intense and unquenchable amount of negativity surrounding my son. It was like barrier walls of solid brick had been erected around him.
I sighed heavily and turned back. He was shutting me out for some reason. So long as that barrier remained around him, I was powerless to help him. I did, however, take some comfort in the fact that he was presently unharmed. The vision ended as I vaguely heard something fizzle, and then abruptly stop.
Slowly, I opened my eyes and noticed that the candle had gone out. I wasn't particularly concerned with it because something wet was dripping down my muzzle. I brought a hand up to my face and felt tears.
I then buried my face in my hands and wept with frustration and sorrow. To think that my family had been restored to me, only to have it destroyed before my very eyes again, was more than I could bear.
As I wept bitterly, I was unaware that this was only a prequel to the calamities that lay ahead of us.
Karai's point of view
Before I arrived at Headquarters, I stopped off at Central Park. As I slowly walked down the gravel path, I relished the feel of the cool breeze against my face. I closed my eyes momentarily as it gently blew through my hair. Upon opening my eyes, I slowly turned around, noticing the tranquil beauty of Central Park.
There was an assortment of trees whose branches were swaying softly in the wind. Flowerbeds of all kinds were slowly blooming to perfection. A pond was directly in the middle of the park with lily pads. There were even a few frogs sitting on some, while fireflies danced in the air.
Looking up into the skies, I noticed ominous black clouds gathering with just a pinch of moisture in the air. Glancing around once again, I noticed that there was no one else in the park. Apparently no one wanted to get caught in the coming deluge.
Leonardo.
I walked to the nearest bench and sat down. I couldn't get him out of my head, no matter how much I tried. My head was spinning with so many thoughts and my heart felt like dead weight. I ran a hand through my ebony locks before looking down, as a soft sigh escaped from me.
"This ain't like you at all, Karai."
My head shot up as I nimbly jumped off of the bench. I reached for my katana and slid into a defensive stance. Seemingly unimpressed by my actions, the intruder stepped out into the light. I lowered my katana as my eyes narrowed considerably.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, barely overcoming the smoldering embers of rage that threatened to burst from deep within me.
"What does it look like I'm doing, admiring the view?" he asked sarcastically.
I tore my gaze away from him while I placed my katana back in its scabbard. I folded my arms over my chest and then turned away from him. "I don't know, nor do I particularly care. Just leave me alone and go back home."
Undeterred by my coldness, he addressed me in a gruff manner, "If you ask me, you're sitting out here moping and acting like a lovesick puppy. Your boss is holding our brother captive, and even though I hate to acknowledge it, let alone say it…we need your help more than ever. I'll admit that I was a bit rough on you back there, but-"
I turned to look at him and cut him off before he could finish, glaring at him with all of the hate and anger I possessed. How dare he try to tell me about my problems! He's the one with a missing sibling, not me! I had half a mind to run him through with my katana.
But as I much as I despised Raphael right now, Donatello came first. He certainly did not deserve whatever the Shredder had in store for him. I could just imagine Donatello in his lab, tinkering with his latest invention, and knew that his place was with his family.
"But what? Don't tell me; you had every right to angrily lash out at me! I understand completely that you hate me and that you were just waiting for the right opportunity to make me leave! I'm glad that I'm going back. At least that way, I won't have to deal with you and your rash behavior."
I hastily turned away from him and was about to leave, when he grabbed me by the arm. I tried to jerk my arm free, but couldn't. I raised my other arm and prepared to strike him in the face, but he grabbed that arm as well. With both of my arms constrained, I glared defiantly at him.
I kneed him hard in the stomach, but he wouldn't let go of me. I could tell that he was in pain, but Raphael always was stubborn.
Lighting flashed throughout the skies and illuminated his face, giving me a clear view of his eyes. They were feral and untamed, like a wildfire that knew no boundaries. In those eyes, I saw everything he tried to hide on a daily basis. It was almost like looking into a mirror. Gone was the anger and hatred. Instead, I was now completely baffled.
The next thing that happened, however, took my breath away. He pulled me close to him and hugged me.
As he spoke, the skies parted and rain began to fall down upon us. The rain was cold and I barely managed to suppress my shivers. On the other hand, Raphael seemed unaffected by it. "Look, I don't do this kind of thing too often, but you need to get a hold of yourself. If you go back to the Shredder, then you're only going to end up suffering. Or worse, he just might kill you. I know how the Shredder is. He won't hesitate to kill anyone who stands in his way, and that includes you, Karai. You can forget the fact that you were once his best agent and his adopted daughter. You're his enemy now, just like us."
The rain began to fall even harder, effectively masking my tears. I knew that his words were true, but it just wasn't fair. There had been so many times that I fought at his side. So many times that I did what was asked of me even when I knew it was wrong, but now that I had betrayed him, I was alone. No one could possibly understand the shallow and painful ache of loneliness that often ate at my soul, day in and day out.
Taking in a shaky breath, I spoke with uncertainty and confusion, "Why are you doing this?"
First he had angrily berated me, but now he was here, holding me in his arms and trying to convince me not to go back to the Shredder. I just didn't understand him. Or perhaps, I didn't understand myself. Nothing ever broke through my barriers and yet, in his own infuriating and complex way, he had managed to touch something forbidden.
No one had ever done so except for Leonardo.
"I don't really know why."
He let go of me and turned his back to me. If he thought I believed that to be his true answer, then he was mistaken. I kept my silence, however. This could have been his way of finally accepting me, and I had absolutely no intention of making him hate me again.
He removed his coat and held it out to me. Startled by this random act of kindness, I looked at the item and then at him. He sighed, irritation clearly lacing his words, "It's better than nothing. I'm not the one who's going to get sick, so just take it, would ya!"
As I put the coat on, I paid no attention to the fact that it was already wet. Our eyes briefly met as lighting crashed in the skies again. A small smile came to my lips. He arched an eye ridge and looked at me suspiciously.
"What are you smiling about all of a sudden?"
My smile widened a tad bit more. "You do realize that in the future, I could use this as blackmail."
His eyes widened considerably as he sputtered out, "You wouldn't dare!"
"Try me."
It was quite the feeling to have the upper hand with Raphael. I was trying so hard to keep a serious expression, but he was making it extremely difficult. He looked at me closely, as if he were studying me, and when he realized that I was indeed serious, a few choice words left his mouth.
I couldn't help laughing. To say that Raphael was supposed to be so tough and invincible, he didn't seem all that harmful now.
I couldn't really explain it, but there was now some sort of understanding between us. As we walked back to the lair, I decided that he was right. Instead of throwing everything away, I should take a stand and fight to preserve my freedom.
Wasn't it funny how the least likely candidate had been the one to make me see that?