Several years later...
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Feel the cool air come in through the nose.
Feel the warm air slowly exhale through the mouth.
I was in the Hamato's personal family dojo, seated underneath a well tended Sakura tree on one of the many decorative rugs that covered the floor. Though my eyes were closed, I could sense Master Yoshi meditating calmly beside me, his serenity feeding into and enhancing my own meditative state.
I reveled in the warm aura, and absently let my senses wander just a little to see if...
Yes. Of course he was here as well...
He was always there.
As always, if I concentrated hard enough, ever so faintly, I could sense a third spirit meditating nearby as well. Forever watching over his beloved family.
And, though we never spoke about it out loud, I knew that Master Yoshi could sense the spirit as well, and that he treasured the presence with all his heart.
Even though we were mutants, and they were humans, somehow, we were still family.
I breathed out slowly again, categorizing each feeling welling up in my soul, just so I could relish the sensations I once never even dreamed I could know.
There was a sense of tranquility.
There was a sense of belonging.
There was a sense of HOME.
...
Hm.
There was also the sense of an impish, orange presence trying to sneak up on us.
Master Yoshi continued to sit tall and straight next to me, still in apparently deep meditation, but I could still sense the slight shift as he too became aware of this impending ambush. Although it was imperceptible to anybody watching us, I could almost hear him inwardly sigh with a sense of ever-suffering paternal patience.
'Really, Michelangelo? Have we not discussed this, my son?' I could almost hear him say.
I continued to sit next to him under the Sakura tree, our poses identical with hands resting lightly on the knees, eyes still closed, breathing still slow and synchronized, even though one of us was a green shelled turtle, and the other a burgundy robed middle aged man. At this point, both of us were just waiting for the inevitable to happen.
Silently, brimming with barely contained anticipation and glee, the orange shadow slunk in the rafters above us, sliding closer and closer. I inwardly mused that it was probably a good thing that there had just recently been a good dusting and cleaning up there. A unintentional sneeze would give the sneaky ninja away, after all.
Though now that I thought about it, the whole reason that the thorough cleaning had happened was because of an 'incident' yesterday involving Mikey, an unsuspecting Raph, and several pigeons. Mikey had been sentenced to spend over two hours cleaning the dojo as a result. And he had seemed especially focused on the rafters during that time.
Leaving the path open for a future clean and dust-free stealthy approach...
...
Well played, Mikey.
The orange aura slipped soundlessly into the sakura tree behind us, and crept along a branch, closer and closer.
Ah well. Our meditation hour was almost up anyways. Beside me, Master Yoshi's aura was more amused then anything. He obviously agreed with my assessment.
There was a thump as an orange masked human dropped out of the branches and landed squarely on my shell, wrapping himself as much as he could around me like a happy, clingy starfish. Now nearly twenty one, Mikey had still somehow managed to keep all his boyish charm that was written all over that innocently freckled face. "Leo! Big Bro!"
"Hello, Mikey." I calmly greeted him from my meditative pose, eyes still closed. "Might I inquire as to the emergency that required such an abrupt interruption of my meditation?"
He scrambled up to kneel on my shell and leaned over my head, touching my snout with his nose. "Donnie's just coming back from his date with April!" he informed me. "It's our solemn duty, as his loving brothers, to pester him incessantly about it as he walks in!"
"Oh, Donatello has returned?" Master Yoshi opened his grey eyes and glanced at us.
Mikey glanced up at him and nodded. "Yup! Raph just went to meet him! They're on their way over now."
"Wonderful. It's about time for tea, and I always enjoy having all my sons at my side." he smiled at us, and moved to get up.
I unfolded myself, and Mikey slipped off my shell as I stood up and stretched. Then I turned, and together, we both helped Master Yoshi stand up. He had made a remarkable recovery from his long coma over the years, one that had astounded doctors and experts alike. It was a recovery that he attributed to both sheer willpower and determination, and to the ancient healing techniques passed down through the family. Techniques that I was very eagerly learning to master myself, under his tutelage. Now he reigned over the Hamato Clan once more, leading the clan with a wise and steady hand from its lowest point where Dun had left it, back up to a new height of honor and power. But old scars from that accident all those years ago still remained, and it was very likely that he would forever walk with a limp.
He reached and took the old but lovingly cared for wooden staff that Mikey held out for him, taking a moment to finger it fondly, before straightening up. It was the very staff that Master Splinter had once used. It was odd, because I was fairly certain that I had buried it with my old master. But, strangely, when I finally brought my human family down to see the lair where I had once lived, there it was, leaning against Splinter's old, worn chair as if waiting for us. Now it was one of Master Yoshi's most treasured possessions and, even years later, it was rare to see the patriarch of our clan without it.
'Our' clan.
Heh.
Even after all this time, that phrase still made me break out into a smile.
"Let's go find Donnie and Raph." I glanced at my family fondly. "I'm looking forward to hearing all about everybody's day."
It didn't take too long to find Donnie, who was already heading over towards our family quarters, walking alongside Raph.
I couldn't help but admire the light spring of his steps, so different from the weighted, weary posture from when they had first found me. The years had definitely been good to my brothers.
Now that I had taken over the responsibilities of Chuunin, Donnie had thrown himself fully into his passions for science and engineering. Free to unbridle the full potential of his genius, he was now doing what he loved, and, though it was at times difficult, he was thriving under the new challenges. No longer ringed by dark circles, his reddish brown eyes now sparkled with life and passion, and he seemed to laugh and smile more easily now. As they walked, he was currently explaining to Raph a new idea or project he was obviously extremely excited about, if the animated hand gestures were anything to go by.
Raph walked easily alongside him, giving the occasional grunt to acknowledge that he was indeed half listening to our genius brother. His hair still spiked and dyed red, he too had grown gracefully into his build. The time spent weight lifting and boxing showed, he was heavily muscled, but his steps were still light and smooth. He was strong and fast, and his wolfish grins were terrifying to behold when we fought Purple Dragons and other street thugs.
Er... not that I went out looking for such fights anymore, of course. It just so happened that Raph, Casey, and Angel were really prone to finding themselves caught up in trouble, and, of course, what could I do except join them and make sure they didn't get in over their heads?
I noticed that both of them still had three colored strips of cloth tied around their arms, just like Mikey, I, and even Master Yoshi constant wore now. As Raph had explained to me all those years ago, it was to honor our missing family members, but now the colors had changed from when I had first seen them. Tang Shen still had her light sea foam green band, of course, but no longer did our family need to wear strips of blue and burgundy cloth. Now, instead, there was a strip of light brown for Master Splinter, and one of dark grey. It had surprised and touched me when my brothers first suggested adding one for Leatherhead.
I unconsciously touched the dark grey band tied around my own arm.
I... I'd like to think that would make him happy. I think he would've liked to have been a part of my family.
"Donnie!" Mikey leapt forward to jump on our purple brother. "Date! Details!"
"Oh, hey guys!" Donnie brightened up, giving us a warm gap toothed grin. He wiggled out of Mikey's grasp to move up to us excitedly. "I have so much to tell you guys! The science convention was amazing!"
"We were just about to head to the garden for tea." Master Yoshi put a hand on his shoulder fondly, then gestured down the hallway. "Join us, and tell us all about it, my son. Tell me, did Miss April enjoy herself at the convention as well?"
"From what Donnie's told me so far, they were both complete nerds." Raph walked over to casually bump up against my scaled shoulder in greeting, before taking his place walking beside me.
"Well, as long as you had a good time, I am glad." Master Yoshi smiled at him as we walked towards the Sanctuary.
"We learned so much!" Donnie enthused, his gait graceful even with Mikey clinging to his arm. "NASA was there, and we got to see some cutting edge space technology, and I even was able to get a one on one chat with the head of the Mars project! I have so many ideas I think I can implement into our own space program!"
"Yeah, yeah, that's good and all, but we need the important details!" Mikey stood on his tiptoes to look seriously in Donnie's startled eyes. "You and April! On a scale of one to ten, how much smoochy face went on?!"
"What?!" Donnie's was startled, then his face went red, and he pushed our laughing little brother away, spluttering. "Mikey! That... that's not an appropriate question to ask!"
"Curious minds want to know!" Mikey danced lightly around him, grinning widely.
"We. Were at. A science convention!" Donnie sputtered indignantly. "April and I are not simple hormone addled teenagers! We... we are intellectuals! At a gathering of fellow intellectuals!
"That's not exactly a denial, Dee." Mikey sang out, his light blue eyes twinkling. "So there WAS some spit swapping going on!"
"Mikey, don't call it that!" Donnie snarled, lunging for him, his cheeks burning from embarrassment.
"Ack! Raphie, help!"
"Ow!" Raph yelped as Mikey vaulted over him in his scramble to get away. "Hey! Don't get me involved in this! I don't want to know about any snogging going on!"
I now knew from experience that it was only going to be a matter of seconds before I was somehow pulled into this fracas as well, and prepared myself accordingly.
But then Master Yoshi stopped short beside me and held up a warning hand.
Instantly we all froze at the signal.
Trouble? Down here, in our quarters?
I glanced at Master Yoshi's narrowed eyes, and followed them up the hallway to the glass doors to the sanctuary ahead of us. I frowned, suddenly realizing that something was off. Something was... wrong.
We all glanced at one another and nodded. Then I leapt up and disappeared into the vents up by the ceiling as my three brothers stood beside our father, ready to move forward.
I did not know how they got in. How they got past our troops and past our security.
But there were intruders in our sanctuary.
The two doors of the garden sanctuary whooshed open, and Hamato Yoshi strode in, tall and proud with one hand on his walking stick, and his three human sons walking in behind him, hands casually resting on their weapons.
They slowed to a stop, spreading out and ready to confront whoever dared to break into not only the Hamato Compound, but our private quarters.
In the clearing of the sanctuary, a table had already been neatly and elaborately set up for tea, where three women waited for us.
One woman sat elegantly on a cushion by the table, obviously the one in charge. She was an Japanese woman with sharply angled shoulder-length black hair and almond golden eyes, dressed in an elegant black and red silk kimono. She held herself with all the elegance and dignity of an empress.
Behind her, heads bowed respectfully, two women waited, both obviously playing the role of handmaidens. One resembling a pale witch, with dark lipstick and eyeshadow, and long straight black hair. The other woman was Caucasian, plainly dressed with short cropped blonde hair, stiff manners, and an air of uncertainty about this whole situation.
"The great Hamato Yoshi." the woman in the elegant kimono stood up gracefully to give a short but polite bow. "It is an honor to meet the head of the Hamato Clan at last. It is good to see you are in as good of health as the rumors say."
Master Yoshi paused and narrowed his steel grey eyes at her, his voice low and cold. "You play a very dangerous game, young woman. Who are you, and why have you trespassed in my home?"
A slight smile graced her full, dark lips, and woman in the kimono gave yet another polite bow. "Forgive my intrusion, I assure you that we mean you and your family no disrespect, not do we intend to cause you harm. It was imperative that I meet with you and your sons in utmost secrecy to discuss pressing matters pertinent to not only my clan, but yours as well." She gestured towards the two woman behind her. "These are my most trusted servants and dearest friends, Shinigami and Jennika, and have come only to protect my person and my honor. As to who I am..." Here she paused, eyeing Master Yoshi as she straightened up, throwing her shoulders back proudly. "I am Oroku Karai, head mistress and true leader of the honorable Foot Clan."
My eyes narrowed. Well, she had to know that that name wasn't going to go over well.
There was the sound of unsheathing weapons as all three of my brothers bristled up aggressively.
"Oroku?!" Raph snarled dangerously, taking a step forward. "As in Oroku Saki?!" He spat out the name as if it were a curse word.
Karai merely watched him calmly, and nodded. "He was my father, yes."
"He betrayed our father and killed our mother!" Donnie's face was tight with anger. I winced. Of my three brothers, he was the only one who actually remembered that day so long ago, when their mother had been murdered. I knew he still had nightmares about it from time to time.
"And he paid for his dishonorable treachery with his life." Karai said simply, folding her hands together in front of her in a non-threatening gesture. "Blood paid for by blood." She raised an eyebrow curiously. "Or am I now to pay for crimes committed by another when I was but an infant? Is that the Hamato sense of justice, then?"
Master Yoshi was silent, but held up his hand, stopping his sons from advancing. He studied her for a long moment, then quietly asked, "Why are you here, child?"
"I have not come to avenge my father, if that is what you fear." She waved the thought aside as she turned back to the table and gracefully knelt down, taking her place once more. "He was an arrogant fool who put his anger and thirst for revenge above the needs of his clan, and the Foot Clan has suffered grievously for his stupidity. I have no familial love for him, only for my clan." She picked up her cup of tea and gestured towards the waiting cup across the table from her.
Master Yoshi calmly and gracefully took the seat across from her, never taking his eyes off of her. He picked up the cup, but did not drink from it, watching her carefully.
She seemed amused by that, but politely hid it. "No, I have come here, honorable Hamato Yoshi, to discuss the feud between our clans, and to respectfully ask your clan to finally make right the wrongs done against us."
Donnie tightened his grip on his bo and bristled incredulously. "Our wrongs against you?! Oroku Saki was the one who..."
"This is not about my father, Donatello-sama!" Karai interrupted him, a little annoyed. "We are past that subject already! The feud between our clans goes back generation, he was merely one tiny blip in a centuries long dispute." She paused, and glanced at the three brothers standing defensively behind Master Yoshi. "Though... you are short one son, Yoshi-sama. I do not see your chuunin, Leonardo?"
All four of them tensed up just a little more.
"Leonardo is none of your concern." Master Yoshi said coldly.
She grew amused once more. "On the contrary, great master, he is very much..." she trailed off, and then blinked in surprise and quickly glanced up towards the tree behind her. Shinigami and Jennika looked confused for a second, then suddenly started, their hands going for what I assumed where hidden weapons as they turned towards the tree, obviously anticipating an attack.
Karai quickly stopped them, and gave an incredulous laugh, peering up into the tree curiously. "Leonardo-sama, I assume?" she called out, and then shook her head in amusement. "My my... there are not very many who can approach me and get so close undetected. You are truly as impressive as the rumors say!" She gestured towards the table. "Come, chuunin, join us for tea. This business very much involves you, and, besides, it's very rude to skulk in shadows while guests are visiting."
I remained hidden in the shadows of the leaves. "If we are talking about proper etiquette," I shot back quietly, feeling no need to stay silent since they were aware of my presence, "Then I believe it is quite rude to sneak into a home without the host's knowledge or permission."
"I am a ninja, my dear Leonardo." She gave me a coy smile. "It is what we do."
"Yes, well, I'm a ninja." I retorted from my hiding place. "Last I checked, 'skulking in shadows' is also something we do."
"Touche, chuunin." She smirked, conceding the point with a nod. "Very well, listen in from where ever you wish."
"He doesn't need your permission." Raph snapped at her defensively. "Leo does his thing, and you damn well better respect that." He fingered his sai dangerously. "And so far, nothing you've said has made me think you've got any right to be in here. Better fix that quick, Oroku."
There was a flash of ice in her eyes, but it quickly disappeared, and instead she tilted her head slightly. "My apologies, Raphael. I was just about to get to that." She turned back to Master Yoshi. "To the point, then. As you well know, the Hamato Clan and the Foot Clan have been locked in a feud for nearly as long as our clans have existed." She paused for a second, then continued, her amber eyes on Master Yoshi. "However, nearly one hundred years ago now, there was an attempt to reconcile our two clans. An attempt that would have succeeded, in fact, if it wasn't for the actions of your grandfather, Hamato Yuuta, who insulted the Foot Clan by breaking the terms of alliance before the treaty was even a week old, resulting in war once more."
Master Yoshi frowned, obviously trying to figure out what she was referring to.
Karai lifted her hand, palm up, and the blonde handmaiden, Jennika, stepped forward and produced an old, yellowed scroll, tied in a weathered ribbon with both the symbol of the Hamato Clan and the insignia of a foot stamped on it. Karai took it carefully, and turned to hold it out to Master Yoshi. "I have here the treaty signed by both our ancestors, my Great-Great Grandfather, Oroku Nagi, and your Great Grandfather, Hamato Yoshihama. As the leader of the Foot Clan, I formally demand that you honor the terms of the treaty as your clan promised, and at last restore the honor of both of our clans."
Master Yoshi frowned, but reached forward and took the scroll from her. He turned it over in his hands, looking it over, then, taking great care, he untied the old ribbon and unrolled the old parchment to read it. Then he frowned, reread it once more, and, after a moment, he lowered the parchment and looked up at her, looking perplexed. "I admit, this does bear the official seal of our clan, and does seem to be authentic, but... I... don't understand. The terms listed here... Are you really asking to...?"
She lifted her chin defiantly. "Not asking. Demanding. It is my right. The terms in the treaty are very clear. I am the eldest daughter of the Foot. Thus, as our ancestors dictated, I am to take the hand of your eldest son, your Chuunin, in marriage."
There was a moment of stunned silence as her words sank in.
Then there was a throttled choking noise, like somebody was trying to keep their mouth closed while sneezing, and Mikey's hands flew up to cover his mouth as he tried to keep his laughter in.
Raph and Donnie both looked startled, their postures immediately dropping from defensive to utter disbelief.
"Wait." Donnie lowered his bo staff, looking around, confused. "Let me get this straight. Are you seriously trying to enforce an arranged marriage... with Leo?"
"I believe our mistress made herself perfectly clear." The witch, Shinigami, spoke up, her voice lilting in a strong accent that I couldn't quite place as she tilted her head. "That was the terms of the treaty, no? The one that your ancestors signed, then immediately attempted to discard?"
Master Yoshi frowned, and looked down at the aged paper. "I... do recall my grandfather telling stories of how he was meant to be betrothed in an arranged marriage, but instead eloped with his love, my grandmother, but... I had no idea that this was what he spoke of. I knew of no attempts of a treaty with the Foot Clan."
"Boy, you dodged a bullet there, didn't you, Donnie?" Mikey elbowed him, obviously highly amused by all this.
Oh. Yeah. I supposed that if Donnie were still the eldest and chuunin, he'd be the one left in this awkward predicament. Huh.
"I didn't know that... I would've never made Leo... " Donnie sputtered, flustered.
"I will not force my any of my sons into marriage against their wills." Master Yoshi stated firmly, setting the treaty down on the table. "If peace between our clans is what you desire, then I will be willing to negotiate terms that satisfy both of our clans, as long as you're indeed approaching us in good faith."
Karai narrowed her eyes. "Forgive my blunt words, Hamato-sama, but it was the Hamato Clan that broke this treaty the first time, not the Foot Clan. My honored ancestor was rejected and humiliated, gravely insulting my clan. The actions of your grandfather escalated the war, instead of bringing peace as all hoped. As the great granddaughter of the disgraced bride to be, I will accept nothing less then a fulfillment to the letter of the treaty, as it is written." She reached over and tapped the paper. "It very clearly states that the chuunin of the Hamato Clan will take the eldest daughter of the Foot Clan as his wife. Thus, I have come to claim my birthright and my husband."
Mikey was now perched crosslegged on a nearby rock, eating popcorn out of a bag and watching with interest. My eyes narrowed in an ineffectual glare at him from my leafy hiding place in the tree. Oh, he was enjoying this way too much. Where had he even gotten the popcorn?!
Donnie glanced at where I was hiding, then looked at Karai. "You... ah..." He rubbed the back of his head. "I, um... I don't think you quite know what you're getting into."
"I would not have come here if I was not prepared for any eventuality." Karai said calmly, unruffled.
"Yeah... but... the thing is... Leo... uh..." Raph trailed off, obviously trying to figure out how to explain things.
"Yes." Karai turned to my hiding spot, apparently deciding to include me in this discussion. " Leonardo-sama, you are quite the enigma. I have been left wondering much about you. There were many rumors about the mysterious chuunin of the Hamato Clan, many conflicting, but no matter how hard I search, I cannot seem to find the truth hidden underneath them." She gave a scoff. "Quite impressive, actually. My information network isn't easily fooled."
I remained hidden in the branches and leave, watching this confusing human warily. The rumors she had heard were, of course, intentionally spread by our own operatives. When there were so many theories floating around out there as to who or what the seldomly seen chuunin of the Hamato clan was, or what he looked like, then it was harder for the bits of truth to be picked out. Why would one believe the wild stories that the eldest Hamato brother was some sort of turtle humanoid, when it was much more logical to believe the rumors that he was instead a human who hid himself from shame due to severe burn scars, or some other disfigurement of some sort. And even if one was willing to believe the outlandish tales that I wasn't human, there were a myriad of choices to choose from. I was a yokai, or an alien, a shapeshifter, or even, my favorite, a dragon. Such rumors not only protected my identity, but they had the added bonus of lending mystery and intrigue, creating a myth and legend of the Hamato Chuunin, which, in turn, lent power and prestige to the clan's reputation.
Karai continued, waving her hand dismissively. "I assure you, though, if any of the rumors hold any grain of truth, it matters not. I am committed to this alliance. I do not know the reasons for all the secrecy surrounding you, Leonardo, but you have no reason to fear my reaction to your presence, if that is why you insist on hiding from me."
Raph growled and moved closer to place himself between her and the tree I was in, bristling up protectively. "What makes you think we care about what you think of Leo? He ain't any of your concern, Oroku."
"On the contrary, Raphael-sama, Leonardo is to be my future husband." Karai said smoothly, gracefully standing so she was facing him squarely. "He very much is my concern. Is it so outlandish of me to wish to soothe any fears he might have of me or my intentions?"
"Your intentions?!" Raph said incredulously. "You're the daughter of the murderer of our mom, you're the leader of the Foot Clan, our ancient enemy, and, to top it off, you're an intruder and trespasser who broke into our home uninvited! And ya think its strange we might have issues with your 'intentions'?!"
"I have only come to right what was wronged." Karai crossed her arms, eyes narrowing. "To both of our clans. I wish only for peace, and to claim what is rightfully mine."
"Our big brother is NOT some sort of possession!" Donnie joined in, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You can't just barge in here and claim him just because of a piece of paper!"
"It is a matter of honor!" Karai's lip curled ever so slightly. "And if you Hamatos were even half as honorable as you're always claiming to be, you will uphold your clan's promises! I have every right..."
"No, you don't." Raph interrupted her, his voice low and dangerous. "You ain't going to touch my brother."
"With all due respect, Raphael-sama." Karai's eyes narrowed. "It's not your decision."
"I believe it is mine."
They all turned to see that I was now standing in plain view under the tree. I clenched my three fingered hands and glowered coldly at the intruders. With my twin katana strapped to my shell and a blue mask tied around my face, it was obviously who, or what, I was.
"Dammit, Leo!" Raph made an annoyed noise, gritting his teeth. He gestured towards Karai. "I was handling this just fine! You didn't need to butt in!"
One of her companions, the woman with the short, cropped blonde hair, leapt back and grabbed for the handle of a hidden knife. "Mistress! No!" she gasped as she stared at me, her eyes wide with horror. "You can't do this! He's a-"
"Jennika!" Karai snapped at her sharply, interrupting her. "I warn you, consider your next words carefully."
"I... But..." Jennika's mouth opened and closed, then she straightened up and bowed smartly. "Forgive me, mistress, Hamato-sama. I have shamed myself."
To my surprise, Karai hadn't flinched in the slightest when she saw me. She turned back to me, her face was as controlled and calm as ever, her words measured. "Greetings, Leonardo-sama. I am glad you've decided to properly join us."
"Leonardo, you did not have to expose yourself like this." Master Yoshi looked at me in concern. "This is not a sacrifice I would ask you to make."
My eyes didn't leave Karai's face, searching for any hint of disgust or revulsion. But there was none, only curiosity, which confused me. "Forgive me, Master, but if the proposed treaty between our clans is genuine, as you seem to believe it is, then she has a right to know why such a marriage would not work."
"Oh?" Karai's eyebrow raised curiously, and she stood up gracefully. "And why would you think my mind changed?"
I raised an eyeridge incredulously. "Seriously?" Was she blind? It wasn't obvious that I was a giant, six foot tall scaly turtle?
She merely gave me a coy smile and, like a panther stalking its prey, began walking up to me. My face like stone, I watched her approach, though, inwardly, I wanted nothing more then to scramble back up the tree and hiss defensively at her. She was getting closer. Why was she getting closer?! Most humans would've recoiled away by now!
My brothers shifted a little, obviously growing nervous at her approach. Raph growled and started to move forward, but I held up my hand, stopping him. I was the Chuunin, and this was my battle to fight.
She stopped in front of me, and it took everything in me not to show how unnerved I was by her extreme proximity. Instead, I folded my arms and glared down at her, trying to look stern and in control.
"I was quite aware of the fact that you might not be completely human." she shrugged, looking up at me with those deep, amber eyes. "It did not change my mind then, and it does not now."
I frowned, my eyes searching her face, trying to figure out what she was up to. Most sane women would've run screaming for the hills by now. "As Master Yoshi said, this is not something we will force you to do. If you wish for peace, and maybe even an alliance with the Hamato Clan, there are other paths we can take."
"I will not dishonor our ancestors' wishes." she said firmly. "I know what my duty to my clan is, and where my path to honor lies." She leaned in a little closer, adding coyly. "It is with you, Leonardo."
I frowned, and bristled up a little. Why was she doing this? What did she want? Didn't she realize that she was asking to marry a literal monster?!
I exhaled through my nose, narrowing my eyes dangerously at her. Okay, this shouldn't be too hard. I mean, I scared humans all the time without meaning to! The trick was going to be to not frighten her too badly, not if I didn't want to completely ruin any chance of peace. Just enough to get her to back off. My eyes blinked and turned white, and I called her bluff, leaning in so close that my snout almost touched her nose. "You do not know what you are asking." I said coldly.
"I'm not afraid of you, Leonardo." She murmured as if she could see right through me, looking up at me with those almond golden eyes fringed with thick lashes.
She was so close to me, we were almost touching! I could smell her perfume, though I couldn't quite identify it. It was an exotic scent. Not floral, like many perfumes tried to be, but more... intangible. Like midnight rain in the darkest depths of a forest.
I snorted and looked away, trying not to outwardly show how nervous I was. "Oh, yeah. That's an excellent basis for a happy marriage. Lack of fear."
She studied me for a moment, smiled knowingly, and then, before I realized what she was doing, she grabbed the lip of my plastron and pulled me down, standing on her tip toes to pull me down into a deep kiss.
"Mmph!" My blue eyes went wide with shock.
"Oh, hell no!" Raph snarled, and leapt forward to push us apart. "Get away from him!"
I could only stare as she backed away, smiling at me with those full lips that had just been pressed firmly against mine. Raph bristled up, shoving himself between us protectively.
I... I hadn't even realized that I COULD kiss a human like that. I mean, my mouth was shaped a little differently then a human's, and... and... wow...
"Darnit, Leo!" Donnie threw up his hands and began stalking for the first aid kit hanging on the wall. "Now I have to test for poison!"
"Wait, do you seriously think Karai is trying to poison your brother with a kiss?" Apparently, at some point, Shinigami had moved over to join Mikey, taking the handful of popcorn he had offered her, and she sounded amused by the thought.
The scent of exotic perfume still lingered in my nostrils. A beautiful, attractive human woman... had actually kissed me!
"It's not unheard of for kunoichi to employ such tactics, and I am not taking chances when it comes to my brother's health!" Donnie snapped, opening the well-stocked kit and pulling out several vials. He grumbled under his breath as he walked over and I blinked in surprise, but let him do his thing as he grumpily but carefully swabbed my mouth with a cotton tipped stick.
This was... Wow. I mean, I saw people kissing all the time, Donnie and April for one, when they thought nobody was looking. Sometimes I'd unwittingly stumble across a scene while sneaking around the vents and would have to quickly hurry on, red faced. And, of course, there were all those rom coms that I ended up watching with my brothers and their friends all too often. But... but I never actually expected that I would...!
"Honestly, Donatello." Karai scoffed, but gave an amused grin and made a show of cooperating as he moved over to her next and swabbed her lips as well, leaving a tint of dark lipstick on the cotton tip. "What would I gain from such an act?"
My lips still tingled from the memory of the brief but intense contact, the sensation still lingering on. Was it like that every time humans kissed? Man, no wonder they were so obsessed with it!
"I can't help but wonder what you hope to gain from any of this." Master Yoshi said, his voice carrying an undertone of steel.
Her lips had been so soft and warm... I hadn't expected that. And her natural scent, lingering underneath all that perfume...
"Hang on a second guys." I heard Raph say. "Apparently we need to reboot Leo's brain first."
Then there was a solid thump to the back of my head, and I gave a startled yelp and quickly shot Raph a dirty look, rubbing the back of my head ruefully. He gave me a look. And then I realized that my jaw had been hanging slack for the last several seconds. I had probably looked like a fish gaping out of water! Embarrassed, I immediately straightened up and cleared my throat, my face quickly going stoic once more.
I was the chuunin of the Hamato Clan, dammit, I had to act like it!
"I have nothing but the interests of both of our clans in mind, I assure you." Karai said firmly to Master Yoshi. "I swear on the graves of my ancestors, I mean Leonardo no harm or ill intent. I wish only to restore my clan's honor and bridge peace between us."
"You are after more then simply honor." Master Yoshi observed, his hands folded in front of him. "And, as far as I know, the Hamato Clan has not pursued the war against the Foot since the fall of your father, so you were in no danger from us. What do you truly hope to gain, child?"
Karai's face tightened just slightly.
And that was the crux of it. Even if... if I wasn't a mutated animal, we had literally only just met. I could not let myself be fooled. She was not here because she wanted me specifically. I was just something she was willing to put up with to get whatever she truly wanted. And there was no mistake about it, she wouldn't be here if she didn't want something. But... what?
"There is another." I realized out loud, and suddenly it all started to make sense.
She looked at me, momentarily perplexed as to what I was talking about.
"Somebody else is trying to force you into a marriage alliance." I clarified, moving away from her to stand next to Master Yoshi once more. "Somebody you detest enough that you're desperate enough to marry even a mutated turtle if it means escaping their grasp."
"I am not desperate!" she snapped angrily, offended.
"And I'm not wrong." I observed her lack of denial with a smirk, now the one in control once more.
She paused, then gave an annoyed exhale, blowing a few wisps of her black hair out of her delicate face. "Are you always this aggravating?"
"Lady, you have no idea." Mikey paused from eating popcorn for a moment to chime in with a aura of sympathy. He offered more to Shinigami, adding, "You can't sneak anything past Leo's radar! Believe me, I've tried!"
"So, you decided that this old treaty between our clans was the best opportunity." Master Yoshi observed, quickly picking up on my train of thought with an approving nod. He turned back to Karai, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table with his chin on his folded knuckles as he studied her thoughtfully in this new light. "The Hamato Clan is powerful, and able to offer you protection from your enemies."
Karai stiffened, and her amber eyes flashed angrily. "I would never dishonor the Foot Clan by crawling behind the Hamato Clan and letting them fight our battles for us. I have every intention of fighting my own wars, and, I assure you, I will destroy my enemies, and with my own hands."
"And are we your enemies?" Master Yoshi narrowed his eyes coldly.
Karai lifted her chin, her posture proud. "No." She folded her hands into her kimono sleeves. "I have already told you, my father brought his demise on himself. And I am sincere in my attempt to foster lasting peace between our clans." She paused for a moment, then admitted, "As Leonardo theorized, there is indeed an attempt to force me into a marriage I do not desire, and thus pursuing this alliance has the added benefit of denying my enemies that chance."
"Wow, hypocritical much?" Donnie scoffed from where he sat with several vials of liquid, obviously running tests for poison. "You don't want to be forced into an arranged marriage, so you try to avoid it by forcing Leo into one?"
Karai was quiet for a moment, then looked away, bitterly adding, "The difference is that I mean Leonardo no harm."
And what she left unsaid spoke volumes.
There was a moment of silence. Even Shinigami and Mikey looked serious.
Master Yoshi lowered his hand, sitting back with a nod towards her. "Tell us, then, child. Who is this enemy?"
Karai was silent for a moment, studying him, then she carefully took her place on the cushion across from him once more, picking up her cup of tea. "I'm afraid I do not know who he is, or where he came from. I do not even know what he truly looks like, for he usually hides his face with armor. All I know is that he calls himself Ch'rell, and that he seeks to claim the title of 'The Shredder'."
Master Yoshi straightened up, his eyes widening. "The Shredder?"
"The Shredder is the ancient title for great Foot Clan warlords." Shinigami explained, frowning as she glanced at Mikey's inquiring glance beside her. "It was said that the founder of the Foot Clan, Ashikaga Yuu, was the first to use the name. He was a warrior without peer, and finally it took an entire army to defeat him, though they still suffered heavy casualties."
"To take the title of Shredder, as Oroku Saki once did..." Jennika added quietly, "It means Ch'rell intends to lead the Foot into war."
"I lead the Foot Clan!" Karai snarled fiercely. "It is my birthright! And I will not let some upstart no-name walking around in imitation armor take my clan away from me!"
"You are the daughter of Oroku Saki." I realized, glancing at Master Yoshi. "If he marries you, he gains a legitimate claim to the Foot Clan."
Karai's face tightened, and her fists clenched tightly at the fabric of her kimono as she looked away, admitting, " There is a great schism in the Foot Clan over this. There are many who are still loyal to me, but there are others who do not see the disaster and dishonor Ch'rell wishes to bring down upon the clan. They only hear his promises of power and glory, and do not care that everything that our clan stands for, all of our honor, will be lost in blood and destruction."
Master Yoshi frowned, studying her for a long moment. Finally, he nodded, and sat up straight. "Lady Karai, Mistress of the Foot Clan, I will not force my son into marriage against his will. But, in the spirit of the treaty of our ancestors, we will, for the time being, consider any competing claims to your hand to be an insult to our clan's honor." He gestured towards the old paper still laying on the table. "The terms, as you say, are clear, and if this pretender to the Shredder title attempts to challenge us in this matter, then we will have no choice but to defend ourselves and our rights."
Karai paused, and studied him carefully.
He leaned forward, face stern. "But, make no mistake about this, child. This is by no means a settled matter. I am willing to open up sincere and earnest negotiations for lasting peace, and perhaps even friendship, between our clans, but not at the expense of my son."
She stared at him, their eyes locked, and then she nodded.
He dipped his head slightly, and then glanced at her two companions. "Do you have lodgings?"
Karai held her teacup, still looking as regal and imperious as a princess. "Unfortunately, we have not had the chance to make arrangements yet."
Master Yoshi nodded in acknowledgment, obviously already anticipating this. "Then it would be our honor to host you and your companions." He turned to me, and I nodded, pulling a communication device off my belt and turning away to make a few discreet calls.
"You are too kind." Karai said politely. "The Foot Clan is, of course, grateful for your hospitality."
"We will, of course talk later about this Ch'rell, and the future roles of both of our clans." Master Yoshi informed her, and stood up with a wince, leaning on the staff and Raph before straightening out. He gestured towards the escort for them already waiting outside the doors."But for now, we will give you time to settle into your quarters and relax. My men will make sure that you will have everything that you need for your comfort and wants. But, for now, I'm afraid that I must talk with my sons privately."
"Of course." Karai stood as well, and Shinigami and Jennika quickly moved to stand beside her. All three of them bowed. "Thank you once more, Hamato-sama, and I look forward to our talks in the future." Straightening up, Karai paused, then glanced at me with a coy smirk on her lips. "And I must say, I am very much looking forward to meeting with you again, Leonardo."
I blinked at her, my phone still pressed up to the side of my head.
Wait... Was she... flirting with me?!
Then I realized that I had completely blanked out on whatever the cook I was talking to about meals for our guests was saying, and I felt my face heat up a little as I quickly turned away, apologizing into the phone and asking him to repeat himself once more.
Karai laughed, amused, and Raph growled, getting defensive again.
"Alright, princess." he snapped, gesturing for them to follow him as he half escorted, half pushed them towards the doors. "Time for you to get out of here." He opened the door and held it for them. "And I'm only going to warn you once," he growled as they passed. "Try any funny crap like you did in here, and I personally will take you apart. Understand?"
"Do not worry, we are, of course, your guests." Karai said smoothly as she walked past him towards the guards assigned to escort them. "We will respect your home and your rules."
"Yeah, you'd better." Raph muttered, watching them suspiciously.
"Oh, Raphael, don't ever change." Shinigami giggled, obviously amused by his threats.
The door shut behind them, and Raph glared at them as they left.
My brothers, Sensei, and I were left alone once more in the Sanctuary, with only the sounds of the waterfall in the background and a table set up with untouched cups of tea to remind us of what had just happened.
I finished up the final phone call, put away my phone with a sigh, and facepalmed. I quickly held up one finger of my other hand prohibitively in the direction of my orange brother. "Not. One. Word." I warned him without looking up.
"So..." I didn't even need to look up to know that Mikey was grinning from ear to ear as he casually rocked on his feet with his arms stretch behind him. "That was a thing."
"Mikey, this is serious!" Raph snarled, stomping over to join us once more. "How can you be so flippant about it?! The daughter of Saki is trying to force Leo to marry her!"
"Oh, psh, that isn't going to happen." Mikey casually waved off his concern. "Even if she tried, Leo's way too smart for her. He'd figure a way out of it. Plus, Dad would never let it happen!"
His complete and total faith in us and our abilities was somewhat touching, and I wished I felt half the confidence that he did right now. Mostly I just felt like all the air had been knocked out of me, and I didn't know if it was from dread, or excitement, or... both?
Mikey paused, obviously having a thought. He turned to me. "Unless... do you want to marry her, Leo?"
"No!" My face heated up. "No! We just met, I hardly know anything about her! And we're from two different clans, it would never work! Plus, there's the obvious little problem of me being a mutant turtle, and... and... she'd never be happy! I mean, I suppose I will if I absolutely have to, but... No!"
"She's that good of a kisser, eh?" Mikey teased, tongue sticking out.
"Oh gods. Mikey, don't even..." I buried my face in my hands again, green scales flushed with embarrassment. I was NOT prepared for today to happen.
"Well, the good news is that there's no trace of poison." Donnie looked up from his kit, and stood up, brushing off his pants. "So at least we know she wasn't trying to assassinate Leo." He moved over to join us, glancing at Master Yoshi worriedly. "We're not really going to make Leo... marry her, are we?"
"No, that is not my intention." Master Yoshi turned to pat me on the shell reassuringly. He glanced at the direction of the doors, worry on his face. "Though we may be required to play along with the scheme for some time." He shook his head. "I do not like the sound of this 'Ch'rell'. I fear there may be trouble in our future, my sons."
"Yeah, and her name is Karai." Raph grumbled, arms crossed.
Mikey thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Eh, if anything, we can always sic Irma on her if she gets to be too much trouble."
My eyes widened. Ohmahgosh. I hadn't even thought about the overly protective engineer. "Irma!" I held my head and started pacing across the grass, trying to quell the growing panic. "Oh, she is not going to take this well!"
"Mikey, no, we are not going to encourage Irma to fight Karai. Karai is obviously a highly trained kunoichi, and extremely dangerous." Donnie rolled his eyes. "Irma has fallen down the stairs on at least three separate occasions because she was watching youtube videos on her phone while walking."
"It would be like setting a tiny Pomeranian on a large, venomous cobra." Raph snorted, obviously in agreement. "Irma wouldn't stand a chance."
"Dudes, you do realize that is Irma we're talking about." Mikey snorted. "I'm fairly certain that she carries at least three different types of explosives in her toolkit. If anything, it'd be more like... I dunno, sending in a Pomeranian armed with a flamethrower to battle that cobra."
"That..." Donnie blinked at him. "A flamethrower? With no opposable thumbs and all that poofy fur? The Pomeranian would be just as likely to set itself on fire as the snake."
"I know, right!" Mikey gestured with both hands as if Donnie had just agreed with him. "It's the perfect analogy!"
"Hm." Raph considered this thoughtfully, then glanced up. "Actually, I think I changed my mind. Can I put my bet on Irma?"
"Ooh! We should totally call Casey and Angel and get them in on this!" Mikey chirped happily. "We can get a betting pool going!"
"Guys, we are not going to set up a gambling ring based on a fight between Leo's love interests!" Donnie glared at them.
"How is this even a conversation?!" I wondered incredulously to myself.
Master Yoshi chuckled and the wide burgundy sleeve of his robe wrapped around me as he pulled me into a comforting hug.
I paused, then swallowed hard, and leaned into the shelter of that thick, warm fabric, feeling my heartbeat calm just a little.
"Fear not the future, my son." He murmured, somehow knowing just exactly what to say to calm me. "You are not alone in facing it."
I was quiet for a moment, listening to the sound of his steady heartbeat.
Then I glanced over towards my brothers.
Donnie. Raph. Mikey.
All three of them looked at me, and finally even Raph uncrossed his arms and chuckled fondly as they moved in to join the hug. In moments, I found myself squished between four humans.
"Don't worry, bro." Mikey squeezed under my arm to snuggle in close, throwing his arms around me. "We've got your back no matter what."
"That's what brothers do, after all." Raph added, reaching up to ruffle my mask.
I gave him a mock annoyed look as I restraightened the strip of cloth, then couldn't help the grin that crossed my face as I snuggled into their embrace.
I may be a mutant, but these were my humans. This was my family, and I now that I had found them, I would fight with every fiber for them. And I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they would forever fight with all their hearts for me.
Foot Clan, The Shredder, Ch'rell... Let them all come.
Whatever the future may hold, whatever adventures lay ahead, I knew that I would never face life alone again.
I was were I belonged.
I was finally home.
And our story had only just begun.