Author's Note: I seriously doubt you'll be able to remember all the names in this chapter. XP Took me a while to come up with all of these OCs, but I did it, right?? Anyways, here's where ya finally get to meet all the rebels!! Er...most of 'em, at least.
Special thanks to my wonderful friend and editor, Stephanie. You rock, dudette!!
Raph looked down at his paws, wishing someone would just talk already. He really wasn't sure what he should say. A few minutes passed and not one sound had been made, save for the activity going on outside of the den. Finally, the black-furred wolf raised his head to look at his brothers. Don seemed to be inspecting every inch of his new form, while Leo and Mike were sitting in stunned silence. He sighed and sat down on the cave floor, his long tail swishing back and forth.
"I was the first prisoner Xekon tried his newest ideas on," he continued quietly. "Instead of mixing two species, he wanted to see if he could give a creature different forms that they could willingly switch between. He succeeded, as you can see..." He trailed off, his ears flat against his head.
"Whoa..." Mike whispered.
"I wonder how he did it," Don murmured. "This is way beyond the average scientist..."
"Well, he definitely isn't the average scientist," Raph muttered.
"So...you're the leader here?" Leo asked suddenly.
"Sort of..." Raph shifted nervously.
"Hmph...you seem to be doing a pretty good job."
A faint smile spread across Raph's muzzle. "Thanks."
"Well, this is a rare occurrence." The two looked over at Don, who was smirking.
"Yeah, you two are actually getting along!" Mike piped up, a mischievous grin on his snout.
Leo rolled his eyes, while Raph just smiled a bit timidly, a spark of sadness in his eyes. 'I kinda miss those fights,' he mused, though he dared not voice his thoughts. 'I wish things could be normal again...'
"Maybe it would be best to introduce you to the others now," Crystal spoke up, sensing her mate's discomfort.
Raph shot her a grateful glance. "Yeah, though I don't expect you to remember all the names," he chuckled, getting to his paws. "Come on, then." He led the way out of the cave, pausing for a moment to look back at Kage. "You coming?"
Kage responded by pushing away from the wall and starting to follow. Navaki was the only one who stayed behind.
"Don't you go getting yourself hurt now, Shadow!" She called, her voice teasing.
"I won't!" Raph sighed, rolling his eyes. "So overprotective..."
"I heard that!"
Raph snickered and padded swiftly away. He slowed down a bit as they approached a group of creatures obviously arguing over something.
"Karo, you're not going out with a broken wing!" One of them snapped. He looked like a griffon, but had a coat similar to that of a snow leopard.
"I can manage just fine!" A winged human - apparently Karo - protested. His right wing was patched up.
"No you can't - especially not alone!" The third appeared to be a unicorn, but it had golden fur and a mane like a lion along with a tail.
"I can too!" Karo glared indignantly at his clanmates.
"Karo!" Karo winced a bit when his name was called and turned to see Raph padding toward him, the others not far behind.
"Uh...yeah, Shadow?"
"Navaki said that your wing is still healing." Raph flicked his tail. "Mind telling me why you think you're going out so soon?"
"Umm..." Karo shifted nervously from foot to foot. "I just thought-"
Raph held up a paw to silence him. "Go back to your den and rest," he ordered. "You'll be able to go out of the camp with the others soon, but I don't want you getting any more hurt than you already are, ok?"
"Y-yes sir." Karo gave a short nod before slinking off, his head bowed.
"Sir?" Mike echoed, raising an eye ridge at Raph.
The wolf merely shrugged. "Well, that was Karo. This is Dakemo-" He flicked his tail toward the cat-like griffon. "-And this is Unae." He gestured toward the unicorn-lion creature.
"It's nice to meet you." Unae smiled timidly at the group.
"Shadow's told me a lot about you three," Dakemo huffed. "Welcome to the camp."
Leo nodded respectfully. "Thank you."
Raph padded off in another direction. His brothers scrambled after him, while Crystal and Kage trailed behind.
"Aniko, Kanshi, Zayken, Licha, and Enee are on patrol." Raph headed toward one of the dens. "They'll probably be gone all day."
"All day?" Leo looked curiously at the wolf. "How much territory are they patrolling?"
"All of the forest, not including any parts near Xekon's castle," Raph replied. "No one is supposed to go anywhere near there. Usually it only takes a few hours, but with a group like that there's no telling what kind of trouble they'll get themselves into." He smirked slightly. "I just hope the others don't drive Aniko crazy."
He stopped outside of a den, where a few more creatures were chatting. Two of them looked a bit like bears, but one had wings and the other had more of a cat-like appearance as well. One of the smaller ones looked much like a lynx, but it had tusks like a boar. The last looked like a puma, but it had webbed paws and its fur seemed well-suited to swimming.
"Uvara, shut your big mouth!" The winged bear creature snarled.
"I don't have a big mouth, Uvayo!" Uvara growled back, unsheathing her claws.
"Guys, you're brother and sister! Don't fight!" The mermaid-like puma pleaded.
"Can it, Sashi," the lynx creature grumbled. His tail was twitching, making it obvious that he was annoyed. "You're such a baby."
"Mikien, you are so...so...GRR!" Sashi scuffed the ground with her paw. "I don't see why I even bother trying to talk to you three!"
"Then leave!" Mikien hissed, not bothering to move from where he was lying lazily on the ground.
Sashi looked over at Uvara and Uvayo. The siblings were about to go at it. Sashi groaned, then spotted Raph out of the corner of her eye.
"Shadow!" She quickly sat up straight, smiling warmly. "I'm so glad you're here. These guys have been arguing for almost an hour!"
"I'll sort it out," Raph sighed, trotting over to the two quarreling bear creatures. Mikien watched the scene, though he wasn't at all interested. "Uvara! Uvayo!" Both of them quickly shut up when they heard the stern voice. Raph looked them both in the eye. "What's the problem this time?"
"Uvayo called me an idiot then said I had a big mouth!" Uvara whined.
"Only cause it's true!" Uvayo snapped.
"It is not!" Uvara lashed out at her brother.
"That's it, you asked for it!" He leapt at her.
"Hey!" Raph jumped in between the two, knocking them both over.
He pinned Uvayo down and looked meaningfully over at Mikien. The lynx creature rolled his eyes, but nevertheless got up and pounced on Uvara, who started to struggle.
"Either you apologize to each other or I'll make you help Sairo fix the wall!" Raph glared at Uvayo then at Uvara. Neither of them said a word. "Do you want to lug heavy rocks around all day?"
"I'm sorry," Uvara grumbled, her face set is a scowl. Mikien let her up, and Raph looked down at Uvayo.
"Fine, I'm sorry too," he muttered reluctantly.
"Better." Raph moved off of Uvayo, who pushed himself up. "Now go get something to eat and have a friendly conversation for once!"
The two stalked off, grumbling quietly to themselves. Sashi sighed with relief, sitting down and curling her tail over her paws.
"Thanks, Shadow," she purred.
"Umm...does that happen often?" Don asked, both amused and curious.
"At least ten times a day," Raph replied. "And I'm not exaggerating."
"Are they your brothers?" Sashi inquired a bit shyly.
Raph nodded. "Xekon tried to capture them earlier, but luckily Kage decided last night was a good time to sneak out."
Kage glared at his father, wishing he could at least argue. Crystal sighed.
"I'll go keep an eye on Uvara and Uvayo for you," she offered, already going after the siblings.
"Thanks, Crys!" Raph called after her, then turned away. "Come on."
"How many more...creatures are there?" Mike asked, quickly catching up as his brother started in a different direction.
"Not including the five on patrol?" Raph glanced over at him. "About five or six."
"Geez..."
"It might seem like a lot, but it's nowhere near enough to stand against Xekon's troops."
Raph stopped in front of the huge wall surrounding the camp. He looked up at the three creatures currently repairing a breach in the barrier.
"Sairo!" He called up.
The winged wildcat glanced down at him, then signaled to his companions. He and what looked to be a mix between a human girl and a dragon flew down, while the woman who had fur with tiger-like markings leapt from rock to rock. She reached the ground moments after her winged clanmates.
Sairo spoke first. "I assume this is your family."
"Yeah," Raph confirmed. "Guys, this is Sairo. He's one of the best and most trusted warriors in the camp." Sairo gave a respectful nod in salutation. "And this is Naya and Nayru." Raph flicked his tail to the dragon-girl then to the mutant tiger.
"Hey," was Naya's blunt greeting. She had black hair and black wings, while dark blue scales covered her human-like form.
Nayru glared at her sister, but her gaze softened when she looked back at the three turtles. "Welcome to the camp."
"Where are Enuch and Iniku?" Raph asked.
"I think they went out hunting," Sairo responded, his tail flicking impatiently back and forth. "They should be back soon."
"We're right here," a gruff voice interrupted.
They all turned their attention to the two that were just arriving. The one that had spoken was basically a mutant panther, while the other looked much like a huge dog with horns like a bull.
"Did you catch anything, Enuch?" Raph glanced down at the rabbit-like creature the panther had just dropped at his feet.
"Not much, but enough for a few," Enuch replied. "Iniku's stomping must've scared off all the prey."
"What!?" Iniku exclaimed, obviously offended. "Oh, like you were any quieter!"
"A lot quieter."
"You know what-"
"Guys!" Raph sighed. "Please, I've had enough arguing for one day. Did you see the patrol?"
Enuch shrugged. "I caught scent of them near the mountains at the very edge of the woods. I figured they were heading back...they haven't returned yet?"
"No." Raph glanced worriedly at the camp entrance. "I hope they haven't run into any trouble..."
"They'll be fine," Iniku assured him. "Besides, isn't Aniko with them? He would know what to do, and he knows how to call for reinforcements."
"Yeah, I guess so." Raph flicked his tail as he turned away. "Well, you two get something to eat and rest. I have an important announcement to make soon."
Iniku nodded before picking up his catch and heading for one of the dens, while Enuch only grabbed his catch and stalked away without a word. Raph watched them go, his tail twitching, then started off again.
"Good luck with the wall, Sairo!" He called over his shoulder as the winged wildcat and his companions went back to their work.
His brothers followed once again as the black-furred wolf padded toward the huge rock they had first seen him standing on.
Mike couldn't help but ask. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see," was Raph's only reply.
The orange-clad turtle exchanged a look with Don, who merely shrugged. Leo was silent, still gazing around at the camp. Considering what Raph had told them about, he was amazed at how this small group of rebels could stand against the many troops Xekon had at his command. He was pulled out of his thoughts, though, when the others came to a halt.
A huge gap in the side of the mountainous stone loomed before them. It looked like it would be dark inside, but sunlight lit up some of the cave.
"Come on."
Raph was already padding into the cavern, and was quickly followed by his brothers. Kage still trailed behind, as silent as always. As his keen eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light, Raph made out the huge form in front of him.
A large, griffon-like creature was sitting up in a nest of moss, his dark brown gaze trained on the group arriving in his den. He had large, brown wings and his pelt was also various shades of brown. His orange beak formed a smile, and he stood up on his huge paws. He had to reach at least ten feet when standing up straight.
"Welcome, Shadow." The deep voice resonated in the cave, which wasn't much larger than the griffon himself. "I see we have company."
Raph bowed his head. "Yes, Zyphion," he replied, respect clear in his quiet tone. "These are my brothers - Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo." He gestured to each one in turn, and the three turtles bowed as well, sensing the revered air about the creature.
"Ah, it is a pleasure to meet you three." Zyphion smiled warmly. "I assume Shadow has told you the story of this world?" All three of the turtles nodded. "Good. We would greatly appreciate your help, if you are willing to give it."
"Of course," Leo replied, and Don and Mike gave a short nod in agreement.
Before Zyphion could reply, a mini missile barreled into Raph. He grunted as he was glomped by the giggling little girl. She looked much like Kage, but her skin was a lighter shade of green and her fur, as well as her shoulder-length hair, was brown as were her eyes. Her tail was fluffier, too, and her bandanna was a light shade of blue. She was fairly short, even shorter than Crystal, and very slim. Even her shell was smaller then the other turtles' were.
"Daddy!" She squealed, cuddling the black-furred wolf. "Who's with you? What are their names!?"
"Hikari-!"
"Are they nice? Do they like ponies? I love ponies! How long are they staying here? Wi-"
"Hikari Aimi Hamato!" The girl fell silent, blinking up at her father. Raph sighed, ignoring the snickers he heard from Mike. "Get off of me. Please."
"Ok!" Unfazed by the wolf's irritated tone, she hopped to her feet, bouncing up and down in place. "Can I-"
"Kari," Raph interrupted. "I'm in the middle of something. Can you wait outside?"
"But daddy!" Hikari whined.
"Shadow." The two looked up at Zyphion, who had a small smile on his face. "I can handle this. Go on."
Raph looked as if he were about to protest, but he didn't get the chance. Hikari squealed happily and literally dragged her father out of the cave, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
"I never imagined Raph would have kids," Leo mused.
"Yeah, especially one that acts so much like Mikey," Don added with a small chuckle.
"She was cute, though!" Mike shot back. "Like me!"
"Riiiiight..."
"Oh, c'mon, Donnie, don't you think I'm cute?"
"Should I be honest or give you an answer that won't hurt your feelings?"
The two continued bickering, while Leo just rolled his eyes at his younger brothers. 'Looks like things are calming down a bit,' he mused. 'It's been an interesting day. So much has happened...' He sighed quietly to himself. 'Hopefully we'll be able to go back home soon - all of us, including Raph...along with the new family members, of course.'
"I am glad you are here."
Zyphion's voice pulled Leo out of his reverie. He blinked up at the griffon from where he was sitting back against the wall of the cavern.
"Why do you say that?"
Don and Mike, who had taken up seats across from their blue-clad sibling, turned their attention to Zyphion as well, their argument forgotten.
"For your brother's sake," was Zyphion's reply. He sighed when received confused stares. "Look."
The three mutants followed Zyphion's gesture to Raph. He had a small smile on his face as he listened to Hikari's excited chattering.
"Yeah, so?" Mike piped up after a few moments' silence.
Leo and Don, however, started to catch on to what the rebel leader was talking about. Despite the smile, the black and crimson wolf they were watching looked sad, a hint of longing in his eyes.
"Ever since he came to this world, he's never been truly happy, not even with Crystal and his children," Zyphion continued. "It is not often that I see a genuine smile from him, and I've long forgotten what his laughter sounds like."
By now, Mike understood, and exchanged a concerned glance with his other two brothers. They all turned their gazes to Zyphion, who was still watching Raph closely. Eventually, he looked back at them.
"He gives enough encouragement and care to the rest of the clan. I only hope you can give some back to him."
"We will," Leo vowed.
"Yeah, don't sweat it! We'll cheer the dude up!" Mike added, hoping to lighten the mood a bit. Only Don stayed silent, a frown on his face as he watched Raph and Hikari.
Zyphion smiled. "Good." He laid down in the moss nest that acted as his bed. "You may go, then. I wish you luck - you'll need it."
Leo nodded to him and stood, followed by Mike and Don. The three said nothing as they exited the cave, heading toward Raph and Hikari.
"Please let go of my ear," Raph sighed, his tail twitching irritably. Hikari was tugging on his right ear, giggling as she did so. "Come on, I said please!" The young mutant paid no attention. "Alright, you asked for it!"
Hikari squealed as Raph pounced on her, using the small whiskers on his muzzle to tickle her mercilessly. Even Leo had to laugh at that.
Don chuckled. "Never thought I'd see the day."
"Tell me about it," Leo agreed.
"Hey, give the dudette some time to breathe, Raphie-boy!" Mike laughed.
Hikari managed to scramble out of her father's grip and ran behind the orange-masked turtle. Mike picked her up and almost immediately Hikari began tugging on his bandanna tails.
"Ow! Hey!" Despite his slightly annoyed tone, Mike chuckled at the girl's antics.
Raph smiled at the two, then turned his gaze to the skies. The sun was already starting to set.
"The days are getting shorter," he murmured, now frowning. The others looked at him save for Hikari, who continued to play with the tails of her uncle's mask. "Winter's not too far off."
It was beginning to get chilly as the sky grew darker. Dark gray clouds had moved in as well, promising a storm later on. A faint rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance.
"We'd better head for shelter," Raph advised, already starting down toward level ground.
Leo and Don glanced at each other briefly before following. Mike was trying to get Hikari to stay on his shoulders as he walked, occasionally tripping over something, but never falling. As they reached one of the dens, a light rain started to fall.
"Come on!" Raph urged. Only when he was sure that all of the other creatures were inside as well did he disappear into the cave after his brothers.
It wasn't much. The den was basically the same as all the others, bare with numerous nests of moss to sleep in. Crystal and Kage were already there waiting. Mike, having let Hikari down, was staring in disbelief at the 'beds'.
"Do you seriously expect me to sleep in that!?" He exclaimed.
"Yes," was Raph's curt reply. "Unless you'd rather sleep on the hard stone floor."
Mike groaned, reluctantly sitting down on one of the nests. Raph ignored him as he set up two more beds. Not including the ones for the three new mutants, there were only three others.
"Shouldn't there be one more?" Don questioned.
"I've never liked sleeping on moss." Raph had finished and was now lying on his side on the cave floor near the entrance.
"Why?"
The wolf shrugged. "Stop asking questions and just go to sleep, Don."
Don huffed, but did as he was told. Mike, despite his earlier protests, was already asleep, as was Hikari. Kage's bed was in the shadows at the very back of the somewhat small cave next to Crystal's. Both of them were lying down, but neither had drifted off yet. Leo settled down as well, giving his usually hot-headed brother one last glance before he closed his eyes. It wasn't long before everyone was asleep - almost everyone.
Raph was the only one awake now. He stared out at the empty camp, his head resting on his forepaws. It was raining harder now, and the wind was starting to pick up. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed, lighting up the sky and sending small tremors through the ground.
To the wolf watching from the safety of the cavern, the storm was like an omen - a very bad one. His gaze remained unmoving, but the emotion in it was stuck between joy, yearning, and apprehension - joy from having his brothers back, yearning for the familiar warmth of his home in his own world, and apprehension for what was to come. Soon, though, all other sentiments were pushed back and unease reigned. He knew, even as crimson eyes finally closed and tense muscles relaxed, that there was a battle looming on the horizon.
Little did he know how right he was.
Author's Note: Another cliffhanger!! Yay!!
