Oracle
Master Splinter's face was kind and full of compassion as Luna hesitated in front of him.
"Do not fear, my dear," Splinter smiled softly. "I may look fearsome but this is only an illusion."
Leonardo laughed, mostly from shock, as he entered the room to join them.
"Appearance is something you don't have to concern yourself with Master," Leo said as he wrapped his arm gently around Luna's waist. She clasped her hand over his and leaned her head easily on his shoulder. It still blew him away that she was so comfortable around him.
"This is my mate," Leo said proudly, "Luna Heliades, the most incredible, kind, and beautiful woman on Earth."
Luna blushed and looked down. This was not how she planned on meeting her soulmates' father.
"It is a great honor to meet you sir. I did not realize my humble request would summon your consciousness. I was merely hoping to get to know you better through the memories held in this place. I am sorry if I have pulled you away from something of import," she said sincerely.
"Not at all, Miss Heliades. Nothing is more important than family. I have missed my sons dearly. Had I been able, I would have contacted them long ago," Splinter replied. He climbed to his feet and slowly paced around the table to reach them; his eyes shining with happiness.
"If I may ask, how did you know Leonardo and I are mates?" Luna asked, full of curiosity. Her own family didn't believe her yet Splinter knew the moment he appeared.
Splinter chuckled good naturedly.
"I know my sons well, Miss Heliades. It has been a while since I last saw Leonardo but I can still read his body language. He has always had a protective nature, but it is the way he orients himself towards you at all times that gave it away. It's as if you are the sun and he must, by his very nature, orbit around you," Splinter replied.
Leonardo gave her a small sideways squeeze, thinking his father did not really know how true that statement was, then dropped his grip and went to embrace his father. As Leo approached him, Splinter's face fell.
"I am sorry my son. This vision tests the limit of my power. I do not have the strength to hold a physical presence here," he said.
Leonardo's excited smile faded and his eyes dimmed a little. Luna stepped forward and touched Leo's arm. He looked at her questioningly and she held up her right hand and wiggled her fingers at him; lifting her brows in inquiry.
May I? she asked, silently.
She did not want to reveal her powers if Leo thought his father would be uncomfortable.
Leonardo smiled.
Of course, thank you love. Leo replied.
Luna turned to Splinter, clasped her hands together in front of her and bowed formally.
"Hamato Yoshi, Father of my mates," she said, softly but with extreme respect, "Please allow me to assist you."
She let her right hand begin to glow until it was coated in a pale silver light. She kept it small, contained, so as not to startle him and reached out as if to take his hand. Splinter smiled at her indulgently but did not reach for her in return.
"Thank you for the offer, little one. I foresaw that you would be powerful and I know you have been teaching my sons, but it would take an enormous amount of energy too..."
He broke off suddenly as Luna let the silver glow abruptly spread across her whole body; emitting a powerful light. Her hair burst into flames, her eyes began to glow an electric blue, and energy snapped and crackled around her.
"I have more than enough," her reply reverberated through the open spaces of the old lair.
Splinter's eyes widened in surprise and he stepped back a pace before controlling himself. Donatello laughed as he finally recovered from his own shock and joined them. It was rare to see his master flummoxed by anything.
"She's impressive, isn't she Master?" Donnie said.
Splinters gaze darted to Donatello as he spoke.
"Most impressive, Donatello. I assume there is an explanation," Splinter replied, somewhat evenly.
"She's a goddess, Master," Leo said simply.
"Ancient Greek," Donnie chimed in.
Splinter's sharp eyes darted between his sons trying to decide if they were joking, then widened again when he decided they were not.
"I would be honored, sir, if you would accept my gift," Luna spoke again, all of her power echoing in her voice.
Splinter's eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second and then he smiled.
"Of course," he said with a small nod.
She stepped close to him and embraced his visionary form. Power flowed between them and his body solidified. As soon as she finished, Luna dimmed her glow and stood back, human looking once again.
Splinter examined his solid paws and arms for one moment in disbelief then darted forward and wrapped an arm around each of his sons, who collapsed to their knees.
"Father," Leonardo's voice was fervent as they embraced.
Donatello just laid his head on Splinters shoulder and pushed his forehead against his father's cheek as he had done when he was very small, seeking reassurance. Both had tears standing in their eyes.
"My sons," Splinter breathed, his voice full of love and pride.
Luna stood quietly against the wall watching. With a brief twist of thought, she made the rest of the furnishings solid; they might as well have a comfortable place for their reunion. Now all we need are the rest of the players. She reached for Raphael.
Raphael? Dear one?
Ya' ok sweetheart? His reply was immediate and concerned. We can be there in five...
Im fine, she reassured him, but there is somebody here who wants to see you.
Someone else is in da old lair? His tone was cold.
This somebody you'll want to see. Bring Mikey. Hurry. She said urgently.
Were on our way. Ya' just stay put. Leo and Donnie are there with ya' right? Raph asked worriedly.
They're busy at the moment. She confessed
Damn it! I neva' should have let Leo talk me inta splittin' up. But I neva' thought for a moment Leo'd find sometin' that would distract him from taken care of ya'.
Luna laughed softly.
Just wait and see.
Raph's reply was a wordless growl that spoke volumes.
Minutes later there was a rumble as the front door powered open again. Leo was on his feet in an instant, swords drawn, blocking the doorway. Donatello was right behind him; bo ready for action. Splinter merely raised a brow and resumed his seat behind the table.
"Stand down, my sons," he ordered. "It is only your brothers."
"Luna?" Raph roared, pelting into the main room.
"In here!" she called.
Raph marched over to their Master's old quarters and exchanged hard looks with Leo in the doorway. Mikey ignored them both and pushed by, going straight to Luna where she stood against the wall.
"Luna? You ok? Raph said you needed us in a hurry!" Michelangelo said. He grabbed both her hands in his and his eyes raked her from head to toe confirming she was ok.
"I'm fine. I told Raph I was fine," she replied, a bit exasperated.
"It is good that you are all so concerned about Miss Heliades' well being," Splinter spoke, "But do you not have a greeting for your father as well?"
Dead silence fell as Raph's eyes snapped to their Master. Mikey turned his head in slow motion; disbelief written all over his expressive face. Each had been so concerned with getting to Luna, they hadn't even noticed the rest of the space.
"Splinta?" Raph gasped. He pushed past Leo and dropped to his knees on a cushion in front of the table, stunned.
Mikey whooped in joy and bounded over to Splinter, flopping bonelessly down next to him and throwing his arms lovingly around his father's waist. Splinter smiled.
"Michelangelo," he said softly, placing his paw on Mikey's head. "I have missed your exuberance."
"And Raphael," Splinter measured him with his gaze. "You have grown strong and controlled my son. I am proud of all of your accomplishments.
Please be seated, all of you. It seems we have much to discuss," Splinter said.
It didn't take long for them to settle into a comfortable ring around the table. Mikey stayed with Splinter on one side; Donnie, Raph and Leo sat on the other. Luna sat nestled snugly between her two soulmates.
Splinter poured the tea and they all took a moment to gaze around at each other in wonder.
"It is fitting that this room, which saw our separation, should be the location of our reunion," Splinter said at last.
"I know that you have all been affected by the divide in our family. Each in different ways; but you must understand that what I have done was necessary for us to remain together in the future," he sighed heavily.
"It is time for explanations, but for this I must first speak of the past.
I do not know how much my sons have told you, Miss Heliades, of our family history but I began life as a human before I received my present form. As a human, I suffered from psychic visions and dreams. When I was mutated the strength and clarity of these visions increased; but that change came at a cost. Each vision took its toll on my body and I would lie ill for days after each one.
Many years ago, when my sons were all still small enough to share a nest with me, I had a frightening flash of foresight. A dark figure threatened not only our unique family but also the balance of power in the human world. I saw that we would need to fight this evil with everything that we had in order to save ourselves and to protect those living above us."
Leonardo nodded along to Master Splinter's words. He had obviously heard this story before.
"That vision was so intense, I would have died without the attentive care of my sons. I was so ill I could not raise myself out of our nest but Leonardo and Raphael ranged far and wide searching for food and clean water; Donatello and Michelangelo stayed behind and tended to me," Splinter continued.
Luna smiled gently at all of them. She could imagine the determination on their little faces as they scurried around nursing their father back to health.
"Once I recovered, I realized that I had to equip my sons with the skills they would need to fight this great evil. That is when I began teaching them the secret arts of ninjutsu," he said.
"And we were awesome at it, sis!" Mikey quipped.
"Yes Michelangelo. You four excelled at the training; far surpassing all the human students I had trained in my past," Splinter said. "By the time they were teenagers, I felt a dark presence arrive in the city and I was certain the days of my vision had come.
Though I did my best to protect my sons, eventually they were forced to venture into the outside world to face that darkness alone.
I taught them to embrace the shadows, to strike hard and fade away, leaving no trace, and this they did, over and over again. Chipping away at the dangerous power I could sense lurking in the world above.
At last a confrontation was unavoidable and the enemy was revealed as a dark remnant of my own past. A demon of a man by the name of Oroku Saki."
"He took a new name in New York. He went by da Shredder," Raphael said.
"He became our nemesis," Leonardo added. "We faced him many times. Each time rejoicing in his defeat only to discover later that he had somehow escaped his fate. But his reign was finally, definitely, ended about 10 years ago."
"I rejoiced with my sons and we lived peacefully," Splinter took up the narrative again, "until the day the remaining warriors of the Shredder's army located this lair."
Splinter paused drawing a great lungful of air, as if afraid to go on.
"They came at us in force," Leonardo supplied.
"They whipped our butts," Mikey said.
"Master Splinta' was sick and couldn't fight," Raph said.
Donnie was oddly silent.
"We fought hard but were driven away; into cover deep in the tunnels," Leo said.
"They searched for us for weeks before giving up," Mikey added.
"It was bad," Raph said quietly. "Donnie carried Splinta' from place ta place and desperately tried ta treat him. The rest of us split up, left false trails, an' scoured for food an' places ta camp."
"When it was finally clear we established a new home and returned here to salvage some possessions," Leo finished.
"That's when Splinta' told us he was leavin'," Raph said quietly. "Right here in this very room."
Luna could feel the uncertainty and hurt pouring off of Raphael so she leaned comfortingly towards him; creating contact between them from shoulder to hip and tilting her head onto his shoulder.
Splinter expected a violent outburst from his son at this. A demonstration of how much Raphael didn't need comfort from anyone, but Splinter's eyes widened in shock as Raphael not only accepted the gesture but nuzzled her hair with his cheek, inhaling her scent softly.
Splinter's gaze snapped to Leo as he emitted a small sigh.
Suddenly Donatello broke his silence.
"He wasn't sick," Don said softly.
"What?" Leo asked, distracted by this unknown turn in the story.
"He wasn't sick," Don repeated. He locked eyes with Luna. "He had power shock. I didn't know what it was then, but now that i've treated you several times..."
Luna's eyes grew huge.
"You had another vision?" she whispered to Splinter.
"I had the same vision," Splinter bowed his head in sorrow as his sons turned to look at him sharply. Luna was the only one who broke the tension laden silence.
"Why didnt you tell them?" she asked.
"How could I explain that the demon they had spent years hunting on my orders was not the one that was fated to destroy us? They deserved more information than I had," he sighed again. "I wrote for advice from the wise ones I knew of old. They could only suggest one thing; a consultation with the oracle."
Luna drew in her breath with a sharp hiss, her eyes narrowed, and all of them turned to face her. Splinter was fascinated as they looked to her for advice.
"The Oracle?" Raph prompted her.
"The Oracle of Delphi is a despicable creature," Luna practically spat in disgust. "A monster of the ancient world, her soul was granted immortality as long as her spirit could be transferred into a girl of the correct bloodline. She made a deal with Zeus so that bloodline was guaranteed in the mortal world for thousands of years."
"You know of her, Miss Heliades?" Splinter asked, surprised.
"Serra and I have been at odds for more years than I care to remember," Luna said with distaste. "She does have a remarkable clairvoyant ability and she can clarify events for you, but she manipulates those that come to her for assistance. There is always a catch with her."
"A catch?" Leonardo said.
"She requires a years service for every year she looks ahead for you. She plucks her petitioners off the face of the Earth and traps them in her fortress with no outside contact until the service is complete." Luna said.
"That is why we've had no word from you," Don said suddenly to Splinter, summing it all up for them. "You have been trapped with the Oracle."
"How many years have you been there?" Luna asked.
There was nothing but silence. She frowned at Splinter.
"He's been gone for seven years," Raph said.
"How many years do you have left?" she queried more quietly.
Splinter still would not answer.
"D'is is bad," Raph moaned, dropping his head in his hands. Splinter often withheld information he felt would injure his family.
Luna's eyes glittered with agitation and, with a fast hand gesture, she released Fina and Sol into the room. Quick as a striking snake she reach blindly across the table and grasped Splinter's paw before he could move it. She felt his astonishment as he watched the flames take flight and begin to orbit around two of his sons. She heard him gasp as he absorbed her changed appearance.
"Miss Heliades? What is the meaning of this?" Splinter asked.
It is a long story for a later time. Just know I have released those who would inform your sons, and I will not reveal anything you tell me in confidence. She projected to Splinters mind, Tell me how many years are left?
Twenty-five, Splinter admitted finally, but my lifespan will end in fifteen.
No. She declared flatly.
I have made an agreement; I will honor it. Splinter thought stiffly.
When is the danger from your vision? Luna asked.
Now. Was Splinter's soft reply.
And yet you asked her to look ahead another 25 years? Why? Luna asked, surprised.
I asked only to know when my family would be united once more. Splinter replied.
That manipulative... Your family is united now! This meeting would be your release. She chose to interpret your request as she always does; in whatever manner gives her control the longest! Luna raged.
I have suspected that for some time, Splinter sighed, but there is no one to represent me or the others she has trapped at a tribunal and that is the only way to challenge her contract.
Maybe there wasn't before, but your sons are my mates and I have claimed you all into my bloodline. Serra is not allowed to hold the gods. It voids her agreement with Zeus. Luna pondered.
Both Leonardo and Raphael as mates? Splinter thought in shock.
Luna flushed. It's a long story, and there will be plenty of time for it when we get you back. I will bring you home… father.
Splinter reached across the table silently and clasped his paw over the hand holding his own.
I have no doubt that you will, my daughter.