Chapter 3: Little Raphael
Soon the spring sun appeared and melted away all the chilling snow.
There was still a fare bit of icy snow around the island but the lifeless trees now covered in beautiful greens and the rivers once again flowed. But that wasn't the only good news.
The mutant turtles' eggs had begun to hatch, bringing the clan's future with it.
"Da?" A little mutant turtle cried as it's beak broke through the shell. All the new fathers were overfilled with joy as their young ones crawled out of their now empty eggs and into their fathers' arms.
Elvis looked down at his egg desperately, but it didn't move and there was no sound coming from it.
Suddenly Elvis' friend Murray came into the nest with his newly hatched daughter Leonarda, or just Leo for short. Leo giggled and climbed into the nest next to the still egg.
"Elvis? Is everything OK?" Murray asked as he stood next to his friend.
"I-I don't know. I can't hear anything." Elvis replied sadly. Leonarda looked at the egg and began to gently pat it like a drum. "Is it empty Daddy? Can I have it?" She asked her father innocently.
"Leonarda!" Murray whispered harshly.
"It's OK Murray." Elvis reassured as Leo patted the egg again. "Hey, this sort of thing happens sometimes Elvis, there's always next year." Murray said with remorse for his friend.
"Yeah." Elvis sighed and turned to leave.
Suddenly there was a light thumping sound. "Wait, did you hear that?" He asked Murray. Then there was another thumping noise coming from the egg. "Yeah!" Murray exclaimed happily.
Leo giggled as the egg began to shake like an earth-quake.
Suddenly two little green turtle feet popped out of the shell. Elvis laughed hard at the knowledge that his little one was alright. All of a sudden the egg rolled up right and ran away into the snow that hadn't melted yet.
Leonarda, thinking the turtle inside was playing a game, ran after it with Murray and Elvis right behind him.
"That's different." Elvis pointed out. "Come back here Mr. Mumble." Leonarda called with a smile, due to the mumbled cries coming from inside the egg. Suddenly the tapping feet slipped on the snow, rolled down the bank and shattered.
The infant turtle climbed onto his feet but they seemed to have a mind of their own as they tapped against the ground, making a strange noise.
"You ok son?" Elvis asked when he caught up to the little one. "F-F-Fr-Freezing!" The little one cried out. "Oh don't worry you'll get used to it. Come on son, come to your Daddy." Elvis smiled as he walked down the hill.
It didn't take long for the other turtles to notice the infants tapping feet.
"What do you make of that?" One said with a smirk. "Little wobbly in the knees isn't he?" Another added. "Is he ok?" Someone asked with concern. "What ya doing with ya feet there Raphael?" Elvis asked.
He and Rose had decide that if they had a son they would call him Raphael but if they had a daughter they would call her Mona.
"They're happy like me Pa." Raphael replied innocently. "Well I wouldn't do that around other folks ok." Elvis said gently. "Why not Pa?" Raph asked. "It just ain't normal." He replied.
"Ok." Raphael mumbled...
After everyone had calmed down they all waited patiently for the mothers to return with the food for the little ones. However, after a while there was still no sign of them.
Even the elders were getting worried.
"So late, what's keeping them?" Yuma said to the head of the elders, Mako. "Patience brother." Mako reassured. Down near the front of the crowd Elvis and Raphael waited for Rose.
"So what do ya do when ya see ya mama?" Elvis asked.
"I stand perfectly still." Raph replied. "That's right." Elvis smiled. "But how will I know one's my mama?" He asked. "Oh ya'll know; she gotta wiggle and walk and a giggle and a talk. And when she sings it nearly kills ya heart." Elvis sighed.
"HEY! I SEE THEM!" One of the lookouts called out.
Looking towards where he was pointing, everyone soon saw the mothers heading their way. The fathers cheered and began to move towards their mates. Raph laughed and ran off into the crowd to look for his mother, despite his father's protest.
In a matter of seconds the two groups collided and families were reunited.
But for Elvis it just increased the confusion as he tried to find his little boy. "Raphael!" He called into the crowd. Meanwhile Raph was running around, looking up at the mothers in hopes of seeing his mother even though he had no clue what she looked like.
"Elvis?" A soft voice suddenly said from behind said turtle.
Elvis turned around and saw Rose smiling at him. He smiled and the two hugged one another, missing the sound of the other's voice. "So where's the baby?" Rose asked happily as she looked at the ground, hoping to see a little turtle there.
Elvis gulped.
"Uh...Well honey, I'll find him." He said. "You lost the baby!?" Rose cried in horror. "Mama?" A small voice mumbled. Elvis and Rose turned and saw Raph walk out of the crowd towards them.
"Mama!" He cried with a smile on his face.
"Come to mommy!" Rose smiled. "No Raph wait!" Elvis cried, but it was too late. Raph walked over to her, tapping his feet the whole way. "What's the matter with his feet?" Rose asked, concerned that there was something wrong with her boy.
"That's just a little thing he's got going, he'll grow out of it."
Suddenly Raph grabbed Rose's leg. "Mama!" He laughed. Rose smiled at her mate. "Oh Elvis, he's gorgeous."...