Chapter 2- Back To Normal
"Let me down you fat tonne of lard!" Riley cried out as she continued to struggle in Raph's arms as he carried her out of the airport and towards April and Casey's van.
"Surely you can easily escape his hold, Riles." Lilly giggled, "You are the one with the powers."
Riley scoffed. "As if I'd use them against Raph."
"Aw thanks, softie." Raph teased, "Where's that stubborn feisty girl who was always getting her butt kicked by Karai and the foot?"
"And the Reaper Dragons." Lilly added quietly
"WE WEREN'T GETTING OUR BUTTS KICKED!" Riley screeched when Raph finally set her down upon reaching the van.
"Sure you weren't. We just jumped in and saved Lilly, Kim and Violet, because you had everything under control." He replied back smugly
Kim quickly stepped in between the two, seeing Riley's dark look.
"We needed rescuing, not Riley. In fact, isn't she the one who pinned you down, Raphie-boy?" Kim bit back.
Raph glared at her and hopped in the back of the van. Kim and Riley giggled and hopped in the van with everyone else and they all drove home peacefully until…
"Couldn't we all just orb home?" Lilly asked as everyone groaned.
The girls groaned and fell to the floor of their apartment back to normal when they finally made it through the front door. They insisted everyone go home and leave them to unpack, they didn't need to be babysat. They were fine. At least that's what they thought about 10 minutes ago.
"Who votes sleeping here tonight?" Riley's mumbled voice spoke up from the carpet.
She heard multiple groans before they all stood up and dragged their sleepy bodies and heavy luggage into their rooms.
When Kim shut her door, she looked around her room and saw that everything was the same as it was when she left 2 months ago. She walked into her walk-in closet and took in her clothes and sighed before starting to unpack.
Violet couldn't be bothered unpacking, instead, she clicked a button on her wall and her little robot friend started unpacking for her. Violet walked out her room and unlocked the living room balcony doors and stepped out. She breathed in the New York air deeply and looked at the view of the sea awhile from her and the city.
Lilly wasn't into unpacking so she just put her suitcases to the side and jumped onto her bed. She took out Shadow and started talking to him.
"He loves me, doesn't he Shadow?" She asked, "Yes he does." She answered simply
Riley growled and threw everything out of her suitcases and placed them all into the laundry basket in her on suite bathroom. She chucked the suitcases in her walk in closet and slammed the doors. She sighed and slid down the doors. Sometimes it was still hard for Riley to believe how different their lives were now.
Riley heard a knock at her door before it opened and Kim stepped through. She smiled a small smile as she looked at her sister on the floor.
"You're going to lose all feeling in your backside if you stay there much longer." She teased
Riley scoffed. "Wimp." She replied before she stood back up. "What's up?"
"I have to leave for Rayon now." She said, "But before I go I wanted to check up on you. Lilly and Vi are going to visit the guys, and I wasn't sure if you wanted to join them or me."
Riley thought over her options. She looked up at Kim and smirked. "Someone has to make sure you don't get into trouble."
Kim rolled her eyes before grabbing her sister and pulling her out of the room.
Raph watched from his spot on the couch as Lilly and Mikey played video games. Mikey was clearly letting Lilly win, but she didn't seem to notice. And if she did, she didn't let him know. It was cute in a way. Raph thought Mikey would play as normal and beat Lilly for the fun of it, but he didn't. He seemed to enjoy letting her win, to see that smile and victory cry as she did.
Raph thought romance was for wimps, that the kind of lovey-dovey shower of affections from roses to poems was too girly. Yet here he saw Mikey being romantic in his very own way.
Raph stood, no longer liking the scene he was intruding on. He walked past the lab and saw Donnie and Violet fussing over one of his blue prints.
"You designed this? For me?" Violet questioned quietly.
Raph stopped in his tracks. He stood against the wall near the door, making sure to stay hidden as he listened closer.
"W-well…" Donnie stammered, making Raph roll his eyes. "I-I designed it with you in mind, of course! But…but if you don't like it-"
"I love it!" Violet cried, "Oh Donnie! This is so sweet, thank you!"
Raph considered her response and her reaction to such a small and simple action from his brother. There it was again. A small action that Raph deemed as nothing, but to Violet it was romantic and meant everything to her. It was something that resonated with her and held such significance. It made Raph think.
He walked away from the lab door, not liking where his thoughts were leading.
'Why am I with such a good person? Someone as kind as humanly possible. She knows I'm not romantic or caring, and yet she doesn't mind. Why? I'm a jerk and a hot head a lot of the time. What does she see that I don't?'
A portal opened in the middle of the Rayonian throne room. Lord Drake looked up from his conversation with his royal advisor, Charlotte, as Kim and Riley stepped through. Charlotte looked like a humanoid bear. She had golden fur all over her body, a female human hourglass figure, long black hair and blue eyes.
Kim wore a long white a-line gown that looped around her neck, with silver shoes and a silver tiara on her head. Riley wore a strapless red gown that in the front stopped at her knees but behind her continued to the floor. The gown faded from dark red at the top to a light orange at the bottom. She wore dark red shoes and a dark red tiara.
The guards that stood amongst the room all fell to their knees in respect.
"Your highness!" They all cried proudly, speaking to both Riley and Kim.
Drake politely excused himself from Charlotte and walked over to the girls with a wide smile on his face.
"Girls!" He greeted warmly, bowing before hugging both of them in one hug. "How good of you to arrive."
"Good to see you, Drake." Kim replied
"Sup?" Riley added
Drake looked confused at the question. He shook his head, deeming it a mortal greeting, and gestured behind him.
"Come, come!" He said, "I'd like you to meet my royal advisor, Charlotte. She will be aiding you in your princess training."
Riley raised an eyebrow. "How can you teach 'princess training'?" She scoffed, "If you're a princess then you are one. That can't be taught."
Charlotte raised a defined eye ridge at the princess before she hesitantly bowed. "If I may, your highness." She answered, "A princess must be taught proper etiquette. She must act a certain way to uphold the standard decorum of the royal household. She rules over the kingdom, demands respect from her subjects. How would she earn the respect of her people if she does not act accordingly? There are many rules to follow, traditions to uphold, memories to keep."
Riley's mouth feel at the answer. She looked up at Kim with a face her sister took as a 'she can't be serious' look. Kim gave her a stern look back and Riley's mouth shut. Kim looked back at Charlotte with a nervous smile.
"Well, I'll try to take all of your teachings and apply them."
"Yes." Charlotte replied stiffly, "See that you do."
Drake made a noise deep in his through and raised an eyebrow at Charlotte. Charlotte noticed and looked back at the sisters with a tight smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Your highness." She added with a bow before she excused herself and walked off.
When the throne room doors shut Riley's eyes narrowed. "Well, she was a delight."
"Please forgive Charlotte." Drake interrupted, "Many people in Rayon are still adjusting to their princesses being half-bloods."
"What are half-bloods?" Kim asked
"They are those born of two different parents. One parent of Rayonian blood, the other of another, whatever it may be." Drake's eyes fell in guilt and sadness, "To many of us, those used to the old ways, the old traditions, the worst of these half-blood was…"
"Mortals and Rayonians." Kim finished
Drake nodded his head sadly. He lifted his face and smiled. "But please, do not let this burden you, Princess." He encouraged, "Once the people get to know you, as I have, they will accept you as their future queen. Charlotte will warm up to you."
"So, was there any reason we're here?" Riley interrupted the awkward silence.
"Ah yes!" Drake replied, motioning for his guards to open the doors. "Please, meet your long lost cousin, Lord Renaldo."
The doors to the throne room opened once more and the young Lord strolled in, his back straight, his head held high. His hair and clothes, as usual, were pristine, and he kept a steady hand over the hilt of his sword. Renaldo walked up to the princesses with a smirk present. He looked them up and down before he bowed a little.
"Greetings, princesses." He greeted, almost smugly, "A pleasure to finally meet you."
Renaldo stood back up and widened his eyes when he looked at Riley. "A real pleasure to behold such beauty." He said, taking Riley's hand and kissing the back of it.
Riley grimaced and pulled her hand away. "Aren't we related?" Her voice cracked
Kim looked over at her sister. 'That's all you can say?' She thought telepathically, which Riley ignored.
Renaldo chuckled a little. "Far distant cousins, I assure you." He answered
Drake walked over to stand beside Renaldo. "Before you returned, princesses, it was Renaldo who was to rule over Rayon. Had you not returned before your 21st birthday we would have crowned him, Kimberley." He explained
Kim saw something flicker in Renaldo's eyes, but it disappeared so fast she wasn't sure if it was there at all. Renaldo chuckled at Drake.
"Sir, I'm sure they would not like to hear these tales." He said
"Yes, you're right." Drake agreed, "Kimberley has much training to catch up. She will need to catch up quick if she wishes to be crowned."
Kim's face went blank. "Wait, what?"
"Crowned." Drake repeated, "You are the eldest heir to the throne. If you wish to become queen you will need to complete your training."
"That shouldn't be too hard." Riley mused
"And she will have to live up to the traditions of our realm." Renaldo almost sneered, "If you don't your subjects will not accept you as their queen."
Drake looked sharply at Renaldo. "The people will accept Kimberley as their queen."
Renaldo raised an eyebrow. "You know as well as I, sir, that many people would not be as accepting to half-bloods ascending the throne as you or I."
"Kimberley will prove them wrong, Renaldo." Drake said proudly, looking Kim in the eye. "However slim the chances, if the people do not accept her or if she abdicates the throne, the crown will fall to you, Renaldo. Granted, if the other princesses abdicate also."
"Oh, I wouldn't do that to my cousins. But you know that I have trained for this since birth and I will step up if required, Lord Drake." Renaldo said
Renaldo looked back to the shell shocked sisters and bowed his head. "Until we meet again, princesses." He took Riley's hand again and kissed the back. "I look forward to our next encounter."
With that he turned around and left the throne room. As soon as the doors shut Riley gagged and started wiping her hand on the back of her dress.
"So gross!" She cried, "First of all, we're related-"
"Distantly related." Drake corrected
"And I am already with someone! Someone not so creepy and suspicious." Riley finished, not hearing Drake's comment.
"Riley, he seemed ok." Kim reasoned, "A little creepy, but this a different realm. Their customs are different. Surely a distant cousin relationship is not taboo."
"Still not happening." Riley grumbled
Drake interrupted them by clearing his throat. The two looked up at him sheepishly.
"Princesses, Lord Renaldo has done nothing to warrant suspicion. I assure you, he has Rayon's best interest at heart. Now, come Kimberley, Charlotte will be waiting to begin your training forthwith."
Drake started leaving the throne room with Kim at his heels. Riley watched them go, her eyes narrowed.
'I don't like that Renaldo guy.' She thought, 'I'd better keep an eye on him.'
When Renaldo reached his chambers he dismissed his servant with a wave of his hand. Once the doors shut and growled and slammed a fist into the nearest wall. His body shook with rage and he gritted his teeth.
"You're right, Lord Drake," He sneered, "I do have Rayon's interest at heart. And it is me!" He slammed his other fist into the wall, creating a dent in the brick. "I will not allow Rayon to be ruled by half-bloods, products of a traitorous queen."
He backed away from the wall and walked over to his window. He surveyed the kingdom, thinking of all the subjects.
"All it would take is a little doubt planted and Rayon will do my work for me. They will ensure that half-blood never becomes queen. And the kingdom will be mine."
Renaldo smiled wide evilly before he erupting into a full cackle. "Rayon will be mine!"