Chapter 10

Rain poured down from the heavens. Thunder indistinguishable from the crashing of the waves. Boats creaked as they rocked and bobbed against the docks in the harbor. Hardly a soul wondered the streets in the heavy down poor.

Their timing couldn't have been better. Raph stepped through the portal, pulling the hood of his leather jacket over his head. Though he had dawned the hakama pants and cotton long sleeved shirt he usually wore to Usagi's world, he had not been willing to leave the well loved jacket. He hurried to the end of the alley way to make sure the coast was clear as two of his brothers and Usagi emerged from the portal into the rain.

"Good timing." Mikey stated sarcastically as he wasn't thrilled about the being suddenly soaked.

"You act like you ain't water proof." Raph stated then stepped out into the main road. "You going to lead the way rabbit?"

Usagi frowned. "Oh, you have decided to follow Leo's instruction and follow me now?"

"Sorry man but that nonsense about taking a boat instead of just going through the portal was going to take way too long."

Usagi shook his head at Raphael but took up the lead taking the brother's up the street. "It is still a long walk in."

"Yay." Mikey grumbled as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.

Donnie put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. "Come on, it will be worth the trek. There are women waiting for us, remember?"

"True." Mike grinned taking up pace behind Usagi and Raphael.

…..

Rayen sat by the window in her twin sister's room, puffing on a skinny joint while her sister picked at her guitar. Every few notes punctuated by the crack and crackle of thunder after bright blue lighting flooded the room with a second of light.

"oooo that was a good one." Emry praised the storm after a particular crack of thunder had made her jump. The sudden swinging open of her bed room door caused her to jump again.

Her and Rayen blinked at the door trying to make out the figures standing in the doorway, dimly light by a small candle.

"Esra says she saw a monster." Shawna whispered loudly.

Another clap of thunder sent all four shadowy figures from the door way to Emry's bed. Their candle blowing out in their hurry.

Emry Chuckled at her youngest sisters. Ezra pushing the guitar out of the way and snuggling into her sister's lap. Saundra and Celest snuggled in close to Emery's sides as Shawna dove under the cover's peeking out to look at Rayen. Who just leaned against the window sill blowing her smoke out the slightly opened window.

"What kind of monster?" Emry asked Esra.

"A big one with lots of arms and makes a popping sound when it roles around!"

"Maybe it's a Lusca." Emry suggested.

"A Lusca?" Saundra asked.

"It's like a giant octopus but instead of a beak it has a great big mouth full of lots of teeth. And they get so big they can sink boats."

"But we are on land. How would it get here?" Shawna asked quietly.

"It is raining." Emry explained.

"Well," Rayen put her joint out on the window sill. "It sounds like we need to make some noise, and chase this monster back out into the storm from whence it came."

"Quick everyone grab something to make some noise with!" Emry instructed excitedly.

The girls hurried to grab anything that could be rattle, banged on, or strummed from around the room.

The group took to the hall. Rayen leading the way singing lively folk songs while her twin played the tune on her guitar. Shawna, Celest, Saundra, and Esra attempting to keep rhythm as they followed in parade. As they made their way down the halls they were joined by Min and her small drum, Lia and her spoons, Octavian banging on his shield excited to join the monster hunt, Lyra brought up the rear of the parade playing a beautifully decorated Dizi pipe.

Leo lay in his bed listening to the rain and the thunder. It would have been soothing if it weren't for the strange popping sound that was unrhythmically making its way down the hall. Groaning he got up from his bed, dawned his swords and slowly opened the door and listened.

He could hear the popping sound round the corner of the darkened hall to his left. He stepped out into the hall and slipped, quickly catching himself on the door jam. Tentatively he stepped out again. The floor was wet. Leo scented the air looking for the scent of blood, but he only got the smell of rain and musky wet stone.

As The popping sound faded the sound of music and singing started to make its way up the stair well. The cheerful noise was followed by candle light and the children of Lord Maru that were housed here. All of them dancing as the sang and played their instruments.

Little Ezra stopped to Take Leonardo's hand. "Now we have a strong one too!" She announced as she led him laughing into the parade.

"What are you guys doing?" Leonardo asked Min as he took up stride next to her.

She gave Leo a confused look. "Most of us are not guys."

"Well… no I just meant… all of you the group."

"I see." Min stated above the noise. "We are playing music."

"It's a monster hunt." Octavian explained as he banged on his shield.

"I refuse to call it that." Min stated. "There is no such thing as monsters."

"Yet you are here playing your drum." Octavian teased his sister.

Who rolled her eyes in response.

'At least the rain was warm.' Mikey thought as he pulled at his soaked sweater and reminded himself, he was on the way to meet girls. Not just any girls. Turtles. Turtles like him.

The rain hadn't let up and still poured down as the group trudged on through the mud.

"You couldn't bring us in closer to where we are going?" Raphael grumbled at Donatello.

"I didn't have the coordinates to come in closer." Donatello explained.

A flash of lightning lit up the road ahead for a moment, revealing a coach stuck in the mud with two people pushing at it.

"Let's give them a hand." Mikey suggested, "Maybe they will give us a ride into town."

The group hurried through the rain and the mud to help push the coach.

The two men, a terrapinian and his driver, a short anole lizard, gladly agreed to take the brother's and Usagi to town in trade for their help.

Don made quick work of releasing the coach from the mud by retrieving a large log, with the help of Mikey and Usagi, while Raphael hauled over a large rock.

They placed the log under the coach, behind the stuck front wheel and across the rock. Donatello then instructed everyone, except the driver, to push down on the end of the log furthest from the coach. Using leverage, the coach wheel slowly lifted from the mud with a slurpy sucking sound. The driver leading the horses forward pulling the coach from deep mud to a less sticky spot.

The rock and log were then returned to their spots lining the road before the group hurried to the shelter of the coach.

"Thanks for the ride, man." Michelangelo grinned.

"Thank you for the help." The young Terrapinian man Smiled brightly. "What has the four of you on the road in this storm."

"Didn't realize it was going to be raining when we arrived." Raphael grumble.

Usagi shook his head at the turtle then answered the owner of the coach. "We are guests of the Lord Maru…"

"You are Mayamato Usagi?" The young man asked.

"I am."

The young man grinned, "Wonderful! My name is Nakame Tonyee. My sisters wrote to me of your exploits with a … ah Hamato Leonardo. It was mentioned, by my father, that Mr. Hamato was invited to choose a bride from among my sisters. Who did he choose? Surprisingly no one has told me."

"I do not know. When I was sent to retrieve his brother's, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael." Usagi motioned to the three turtles occupying the coach. "he had not yet chosen."

"Not yet chosen?" Tonyee's furrowed his eye ridges in a perplexed expression. "I don't understand. Has he not met my sister's yet? Why would my father wait?"

The last question seemed to be more to himself, so Usagi answered the others. "Leonardo met them. But has asked for time to get know them before making his decision."

"What ever for?"

"You're kiddin' right?" Raphael raised an eye ridge at Tonyee, who only continued to look perplexed.

"Where we are from people take time getting to know a woman before asking her to marry them." Donatello explained before Raphael could say anything more to possibly insult the owner of their ride.

"Ask…the woman?" Tonyee questioned. He then chuckled. "How interesting. I suppose you give them say in other things too, yes? How businesses should be run and wars fought?"

"Why not?" Mikey asked not understanding the point of Tonyee's questions.

Tonyee smiled. "You three should talk visit the clinic, and perhaps tour the guard tower while you are here. I have at least three sisters that would help you make sense of it. Not that they are not good women. But, there is a reason they have not yet wed. Emry probably would have been wed if it wasn't for the other three."

"You don't sound like you like your sister's very much." Mikey stated.

"My apologies. I love my sisters dearly. Like I said they are good women. But the eldest four of my younger sisters are… unruly. My father is soft with them and not as insistent as he should be of them learning their place… as women."

"What place is that? Pregnant and cooking?" Raph frowned.

"Well, my sisters are ladies of the keep they have servants to cook for them."

Raph's expression stayed flat. "So just pregnant than."

"Can you birth children?" Tonyee asked.

Raph furrowed his forehead. "Of course not."

"Then that is a woman's place. To do what little a man can not."

Raphael wasn't entirely sure how to argue with that. It kind of made sense…in a way.

The coach came to a stop and a small door, at the front of the coach, was opened through which the driver spoke. "We have reached Umino, sir."

"Take us to the palace. Our resourceful rescuers are guests of my father." Tonyee explained.

"Of course, sir." The driver shut the little door and continued on down the road.

"Well, unruly women will not be an issue for you. Espin, Lia, and shawna are rather well behaved in comparison to the older four."

"Wait. There are only three that can get married." Mikey asked.

Even as Tonyee nodded his answer Usagi began to speak. "Actually, Leonardo decided the older four were at a more agreeable age and disposition for life in the Hamato clan."

"Really?" A wide grin crept across Tonyee's face as he leaned forward placing his arms on his knees. "what is his goal? To tame the wild or to run with it."

"Oh, we definitely run with wild." Mikey grinned.

Tonyee laughed then. "Wonderful!"

"What?" Don asked. "but you just said…"

"What my father expected me to say." Tonyee waved off the expectations of his father. "I taught lyra how to use a sword when I was first learning. Not even getting whipped deterred her."

"Really?" Raphael's interest in the conversation peaked.

Tonyee nodded. "Still, she is not as formidable, with the weapon, as Rayen. I have seen that woman take on opponents most men would shy away from. It is as if she does not see that she is at a disadvantage against them."

The coach came to a stop again. "Ah! We are here."

She didn't look formidable as she sang her way down the corridor dancing with her siblings and Leonardo. A broad smile on her face as her voice rang out and echoed through the keep with the notes and rhythm of the hodge podge of impromptu instruments.

A flash of lighting illuminated the main entrance to the keep and Rayen's voice ceased. The Golden glower of LARG soaking wet man caused her to stop short. The two lamps on either side of the wall caused his wet, dark green skin to glisten and his dark gold and chocolate eyes to practically glow. Wet clothing stuck to his skin accentuating every taught and bulged muscle. His scars would have made him menacing, except Rayen rather liked them. She had considered Leonardo handsome, but this man was…terrifyingly handsome. Like watching a hurricane coming for the shore.

"Tonyee!" She heard one of her sister's shout excitedly. Rayen hadn't even noticed anyone else had entered with the tempest of a man that stood at the entrance.

"What is all this? I get a parade upon coming home?" Tonyee asked as he scooped up his youngest sister.

"We are on a monster hunt." Ezra whispered wide eyed. "I saw it."

"Oh. Well, that is serious business. We better finish the patrol while someone gets a fire going and makes us some hot tea." Tonyee suggested.

The servant that had answered the door bowed and hurried off to see to Tonyee's bidding. As his sister's and brother greeted him.

After a short introduction between the men, Emry took the lead of the parade. Strumming her guitar and singing new song.

"You are hunting a…monster?" Raph's voice rumbled out as he raised an eye ridge at Leo.

"We are easing a little girl's fears." Leo answered as he followed Mikes grinning gaze to Rayen, who seemed lost in thought in the middle of the room.

"dibs on the twins." Mike whispered.

"like hell." Raph snapped.

Leo rolled his eyes and began pushing his brothers in the direction of the parade as he hissed. "Please try not to embarrass me... or yourselves." He then smiled back at the woman in the middle of the room. "Rayen, are you coming."

She looked around as if suddenly realizing that she was standing by herself. "Um.. yes.." she said softly as she hurried past Leo and his brothers taking special care not to look at the one with dark golden eyes and sai on his hips, least the world stop spinning again.

And the noisy parade went on into the night.