Chapter Forty-Four
A New Hope?
Mona clasped her mother and grandmother's hands as they lead her through the door of the farmhouse, Rexie following close behind, his tail wagging and panting happily.
As they walked inside, Mona smelt the sweet smell of hot apple cider as well as hot buttered toast and marshmallows as well as burning wood.
"Do you remember when you and your brothers used to roast marshmallows on the fire?" her grandmother asked, "You used to sit around a camp-fire under the stars or do it in front of the fireplace?"
Mona nodded.
"I do, I remember Callum used to put at least five marshmallows on his stick and eat them in one go, and he would always be sick if he ate too much."
Gina shook her head.
"Indeed yes." she said "Always meant a big clean up job!"
"And he kept doing it." Mona chuckled as she looked around the room.
It was rustic, warm and cosy, the ceiling was high and from the wooden beams hung iron chandeliers and the furniture was beautiful arranged and a warm glow filled the entire area.
She looked across to a large living area and an open large stone fire-pit in the middle as well as an open fireplace filled with large sweet smelling candles.
Mona felt her heart swell then she saw a rocking chair facing the fire pit and a hand rested on the arm, her heart beat faster as she thought about who might be sitting there.
"Pappy?" Gina said "Look whose come to see us!"
"Pappy?" tears streamed from her eyes as the chair moved and the figure sitting there looking around showing the face of a dark haired man with kind brown eyes.
"Grandpa?" Mona croaked as the man smiled and held out his hands to which she ran over and embraced him tightly and he held her close.
"Hello Princess." he said "You've grown up so much!"
Mona looked up at him.
Even though he wasn't the old man she once knew as a child before he passed away, she could tell from his eyes and smile that it was him.
Gina and Grandmother came over and joined in the hug.
"It's so wonderful to see you Mona." Grandpa said softly "After all you've been through."
Hearing those last words, Mona's smile faded as she remembered the reason why she was here.
"I have been through so much." she sniffled "Not just when I mutated, but recently too..."
She felt her grandmother stroke her hair.
"When I mutated, I believed no-one would want me, or I'd be taken away and studied like some animal, I thought this form would break the family's hearts. I met the turtles and then things got better..."
"They did." Grandmother smiled "You were lucky they found you, and you have such a loving family looking after you, the turtle Raphael is a very lucky man!"
"I only wish I could have met him." Grandpa laughed.
"As do I!" Gina chuckled "I wonder what he would have thought of me as a mother-in-law?"
"But I never stopped thinking about you!" Mona started to protest even though there was no reason to explain, she felt she had to.
"I thought about you all every minute, I wanted tell you what happened to me, but I didn't know how you would react." she looked at Gina who just looked back at her with sympathy "I wondered if I would be able to tell you, but then when I learnt of what enemies I have now, I couldn't, as I knew they would do all in their power to find you...and use you against me..."
She then felt the tears flow and before either grandparents or Gina could say anything, she went on.
"But then, Jake...Cal they...they found me..."
"Mona..." Grandpa spoke, but Mona kept going, saying how they came to New York and by chance found her, and they had fallen into the hands of the Foot, resulting in Callum's near death and mutation.
"Callum!" Mona wailed "Because of me he went off the rails! He became a different person! And now he has for real! I...I don't know him any more! I only wanted to save his life and look what happened!"
She couldn't go on any more and the Lizard Lady burst into more loud sobs, s much so she could barely catch her breath and her knees felt like jelly under her.
She soon felt the hands of her mother, and grandparents around her and she soon heard her Grandfather's voice.
"Monalisa."
Mona sniffled and looked up at her Grandpa who looked at her kindly yet seriously.
"You listen to me and listen well young lady." he said "And this is what everyone has been saying to you, you are not to blame for what happened! You didn't make Callum go off the rails! You didn't deliberately cause a black cloud over the family, nor did you give your mother cancer."
"But that decision I made!" Mona said "I choose to walk down that alley! I choose to take that shortcut, I sealed my fate going down there! Thus the Purple Dragons 'Killed' me!"
"Those thugs are to blame!" Grandpa said "Listen to your Pappy, Princess, you did not do this!"
"You did not do this." Grandmother and Gina said together "You are not to blame!"
Mona opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out.
Grandpa smiled then held out his hand.
"Come here." he said to which Mona obeyed and walked with him towards the fire-pit and he sat her on the sofa and Gina and Grandmother sat on either side of her.
"What are we doing?" Mona asked.
Grandpa smiled in looked towards the flames.
"Watch the fire sweetheart." he said "Up here, we look down at the world below and see how people are coping, even though we weren't around for most of your older life Mona, we watched you grow and we saw what happened to you, we nearly thought you were going to join us, but then you were given a new life, same can be said for Callum, we thought he was going to join us."
Gina and Grandmother nodded.
"I was ready to scold him." Gina said "But still welcome him here and I was proud of you baby, for giving him the chance to have a new life."
Mona gave a weak smile at her mother yet she cast her eyes down again.
"I only wanted to help him."
"Like any older sister would do for her brother." she heard Grandmother say as she squeezed her hand tightly.
"Now look into the flames." Grandpa said "And we can show you, how your presence has helped others in ways you could never have imagined."
Mona looked at her Grandfather then looked at the fire as it glowed more and soon she saw images within the dancing flames.
She saw herself with the turtles, teaching them her ways of Kung Fu, then the turtles adopting their favourite animal styles.
She saw herself sparring with Leonardo during training, and that time she saved his life after Izo Arashi stabbed him those years back.
She saw her and Raphael riding his Shell-cycle, her tending to his aching muscles after a good round with his punch bag as well as some affectionate moments together.
Then she saw herself helping Donatello with his tinkering projects and assisting in his lab, and then she saw her with Michelangelo, playing games and skating in the sewers, as well as the time she comforted him when his beloved cat Klunk died.
Then she saw Master Splinter appear and how he saw her as the daughter he never had, spending time with him meditating or sharing Jasmine Tea.
As each of the images went by, she saw herself assisting the turtles and fighting the Foot Ninja and Purple Dragons.
"You have done a lot for people Princess." Grandpa said "Even though you make yourself unseen, you are a guardian Angel, and not just in New York."
"But also Chicago." Grandmother smiled "With your other friends."
Mona soon saw her first meeting with Tyroth and Sephie, then the Mutopians on her first trip to Chicago and to Mutopia, the Battle against the Demons, then that adventure in Skyrim, as well as other nights protecting the city with the Chicago Knights.
"You are a saviour Mona, and you always will be, even if people cannot see you." Grandmother said softly.
Mona looked down again.
"I don't feel like one, especially not now." Mona sighed "I thought I was helping Callum...but I never imagined he would turn on me, and turn into this...this...monster."
She felt her mother and grandmother's hands clasp hers tightly.
"He's Diablo..." she said "I...I may have put Mutopia in danger! He escaped to live his own life! I know what he did was unforgivable, and the Mutopians will not forgive him, but I...he..."
"Baby girl." Gina said softly "I understand, he is your brother, as he is my son, I am also shocked at his behaviour, I never imagined he would go down such a dark road, and I passed on knowing he was still in a dark place."
"Words cannot express our disappointment." Grandpa said sadly "But this was not you or Jake's doing."
Grandmother nodded.
"Callum may call himself another name, and now walk a different yet dark path, and it is unknown were he will go."
"But what if he betrays us?" Mona asked "What if Mutopia is discovered? If not by his deliberate actions, but by some other way?"
"The future may be uncertain for now child." Grandpa said "But as long as Mutopia is protected by great warriors, like your Dragon Friend, and you and the turtles keep protecting New York, whatever happens, you will be ready for him."
"How can you be so sure?" Mona asked.
"After what we have observed." Grandmother smiled "You have taken on big things in the past, and you can do the same again, and whatever path Callum makes, he made his choice."
"He did." Gina said "He choose this dark path, no-one forced him, and looking into your heart, I know you would still have him back, not because of blood, but because you still love him."
"Is there any chance he might come back?" Mona asked in a hopeful tone.
"The Future is not set in stone." Grandpa said "But as long as you have your friends, your faith, and your family, you will be okay."
"That is true." Gina said "Listen my Angel, Time passes. Memories fade. Feelings change. People leave. But hearts never forget."
Mona felt the tears come again, she wished with all her being that there was a way she could bring Callum back, but now with him as Diablo, there didn't seem to be any hope, but until then, all she could do was help protect Mutopia and her home, if not from him, but from other dangers.
"We so proud of you baby." Gina said kissing Mona's forehead "Never forget that, the same can be said for Jake, and whatever happens, wherever you go, we'll always be there, watching you, and standing with you, that is a promise."
"Thank you." Mona whispered "I love you so much, and I'll miss you."
As she said those words she noticed it was beginning to get dark and the room was starting to fade.
"We'll always be with you." Grandpa said with a smile, "Forever!"
"And ever." Gina said.
"And ever." Grandmother said "Stay safe Angel."
"I'll try..." Mona choked, the room was getting darker, and the flames were starting to die out, but she kept her eyes on her mother and grandparents until the very last moment.
"I love you so much!" she called just as their smiling faces faded from her sight...
Mona slowly opened her eyes and she soon found herself face to face with Leonardo who was opening his own eyes, and she felt Raphael's hands on her shoulders, and in the corner of her eyes she saw Tyroth as his magic and mana subsided bringing them all back to the real world.
"Mona?" Leonardo looked into Mona's tearful eyes, and Raphael squeezed his mate's shoulders, meanwhile Tyroth looked at the Lizard Lady hopefully.
"Leo...Tyroth." Mona beathed.
"Did it work?" asked Tyroth nervously, he was then nearly knocked backwards as Mona threw herself upon him and hugged him tightly around the neck.
Leonardo and Raphael were slightly surprised too, but they exchanged warm smiles as they guessed that this must have worked.
"Thank you Tyroth!" Mona wept, this time tears of happiness.
"What happened?" Tyroth asked as he patted Mona's back.
Mona then preceded to tell the Dragon, Leonardo and her mate about how she met her mother, Grandmother and Grandfather as well as Rexie the Dog and how they comforted her.
"Wow!" Raphael said then felt proud as Mona told him they approved of him as a mate, and how they thought fondly of the other turtles as well as Tyroth, Sephie and the other Mutopians.
Leonardo and Tyroth beamed feeling glad their plan worked and that Mona had found some comfort.
Raphael hugged Mona close then looked over her shoulder at Leonardo and Tyroth before winking.
Mona then turned to Tyroth again and smiled through her tears.
"I can't thank you enough Tyroth." she said "You gave me the chance to talk to my mother, one last time, and see my grandparents, and I'll never forget your kindness."
"You're a dear friend to me Mona." Tyroth said lifting Mona's chin with a gentle smile "And I would only do what anyone would for their loved ones, when it is needed."
Awwww, it seems what Tyroth and Leonardo did for Mona was a real comfort! Hopefully hearing her mother and grandparents words will inspire Mona as well as offer comfort and peace of mind.
Hope you enjoyed it!
Credit to Tyroth Darkstorm for some of his ideas! Thanks so much! xxx