CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"WHAT?!" Raph shouted, breaking the silence that had come over the room.
"He's alive?" Donnie asked.
"He is," Usagi said, "At least, according to the rumor."
"And you believe this rumor?" Leo asked.
"I believe that there is some truth to it, yes." Usagi said.
"I knew it!" Mikey shouted, "Hah! No one can keep our Dad locked up and get away with it!"
"This can't be happening," Donnie said, "We can't get our hopes up. Our father was ambushed, remember? By Saki."
"But Donnie," Mikey said, "No one ever found his body. So how do we know that he's dead?"
"If he is still alive, wouldn't he be held in the dungeons?" Leo asked, "The Palace is locked up tight, so where did he escape from?"
"Perhaps from the Purple Dragon prison, my Friend." Usagi said, "It is well known that the Purple Dragons guard their prisons, and take them wherever they go. Did you not mention a few minutes ago that Saki was upset about the escape of those prisoners?"
"Yes," Leo said, "One in particular. But none of the prisoners looked like the King."
"How would you know that?" Raph asked.
"Because I remember what the King looks like!" Leo responded.
"I don't." Mikey said.
"Of course not, Mikey. You were too little to remember." Donnie said.
"The King might not look like himself, not after being in a prison for ten years." Usagi said, "But there was enough time after the prisoners escaped for them to reach the Daimyo. You mentioned earlier some of the names of the prisoners. Tell me more about them."
"Um, okay," Mikey said, "Well, there was Master Splinter, Leatherhead, Slash and two other strong dudes. Um, Bro here talked to Leatherhead more than I did. Master Splinter told me stories. Slash was just creepy, and the other two guys didn't do much."
"What kind of stories did he tell you?" Usagi asked.
"Really cool ones!" Mikey said, "There was this one about a knight who wanted to know what it was like to be a normal villager, so he pretended to be one and got kidnapped by some slave traders. He ended up in a pirate ship, and the pirates wanted him to attack his dad's house, and he wouldn't do it. So-"
"Hang on, we are not doing story time right now." Raph said, "Did anyone in that prison seem like they could be royal?"
"You mean besides Mikey?" Donnie asked.
"Master Splinter mentioned that he was originally from this area." Leo said, and all eyes turned towards him, "And he asked about the welfare of the Royal Princes. Leatherhead mentioned being in prison for ten years, and by the way he stood in front of Master Splinter, I think he was protecting him."
"So Master Splinter could be our dad?" Mikey asked, "That's so cool!"
"That doesn't prove anything." Donnie said.
"Listen, Mikey." Raph said, turning to his youngest brother, "What exactly did Master Splinter look like?"
"Um, nice?" Mikey said.
"Tell me more about those stories." Usagi said, "What did he say about them?"
"Um, that they were true." Mikey explained, "They happened to his ancestors. One of them was about this knight who fell in love with this girl, but they couldn't get married because their parents were angry for some reason. So they used to meet in secret by this lake, and they passed messages to each other with an animal. Can you guess what kind?"
"A turtle." Usagi said.
"Yeah! Wait. How'd you know that?" Mikey asked, "I thought it was an eagle or pigeon."
"Usagi," Raph said, "Have you heard this story before?"
"I have." Usagi said, "In my travels I've heard many stories. This one is about the King and Queen who built this Castle."
"What?" Donnie asked.
"Haven't you ever wondered why the symbol of your family is a turtle?" Usagi asked.
"Wait," Donnie said, "That story was about our ancestors?"
"So that prisoner, Master Splinter," Leo began.
"He must be the King." Usagi said.
"I met Dad?" Mikey said, "Really?"
Leo walked over to a wall and leaned against it, then slowly sat on the ground.
"So he really is alive," Donnie said, "And both of you met him!"
"Dude, he was so nice, I should've known he was dad!" Mikey said.
"Hey, are you alright?" Raph asked, walking over to Leo.
"I'm fine," Leo said, his head in his arms, "It's just...I hoped the King would come back for so long. And now he's back."
"We don't have time to celebrate," Donnie said, "We have a problem."
"What's that?" Raph asked, all his attention on Donnie.
"The war." Donnie looked at Raph, "Don't you see what's going to happen now?"
"What?" Raph asked.
"The King is going to the Daimyo for an army," Usagi said, "To take back his home from Saki."
"There's going to be another war on top of this one." Donnie concluded, "And it's going to be soon."
"Oh man," Mikey said, "That does not sound good."
"That the last of it?" Raph asked.
"Yes," Leo responded, sweat streaming down his face as he carried the front end of the heavy desk, "Can you go check to make sure we got everything?"
"Sure," Raph said, running back into the treasure room.
"I hope there is room for this in the passage," Usagi said, straining to lift the back end of the desk.
"Mikey and Donnie will make sure there's room," Leo said, carefully leading the way, "Do any of you need a break?"
"Nope, I'm good." Casey grunted, straining with the middle of the desk, "I can't believe gold weighs so much."
"I can't believe that you guys aren't going to figure out how to roll it instead of carry it," April said, watching from the door and waiting to direct Leo if he needed any directing, "Seriously, that thing looks heavy."
"Yeah? Well, we're fine." Casey said, "I can't believe that you guys managed to find out about your dad and another war without me."
"Treasure room's empty," Raph said, grabbing the other side of the middle of the desk, "Not a single jewel in sight. How're we doing?"
"Making progress," Leo strained, "Remember, bend with your knees, not your back!"
"We know already, Fearless!" Raph said.
"We're good here," Leo said, slowly walking backwards up the incline into the next passageway, "April, can you go check to make sure there's room in the passage?"
"Got it," April said, disappearing ahead of them.
She came back a few seconds later. "There's room now," she said, "Just be careful!"
"Do not worry," Usagi said, pushing at the desk from his position at the end, "We will be!"
After some straining and pushing and stretching, the solid gold desk was finally set in place in the only clear spot in the passageway.
"Alright," Raph gasped, making his way over a pile of rubies, "Let's go make sure there's absolutely nothing in that treasure room or Mikey's passageway."
"I'll check first!" April said, bounding out into Mikey's passagway with one of the candles.
"Good," said Usagi, bending over like Raph, Leo and Casey to regain his breath, "We can each take turns to make certain that we have not missed anything."
After every inch of the treasure room and the connected passageway was searched and they were all positive that there was absolutely no treasure left, Donnie finally closed the wall that connected Raph's passageway with Mikey's.
"And that's done, for now." Donnie said, turning to look at everyone in Raph's passageway, "Now if Saki gets to the Treasure room, he won't find anything in it."
"But I don't think we should leave all this stuff here," Raph said, gesturing to all the treasure with them, "What if Saki finds this passageway somehow?"
"You are right, High Prince." Usagi said, "We need a more appropriate home for all this treasure."
"Yes, but it has to be somewhere that Saki won't look." April said, "Can we move it to another passageway? One that isn't so close to the treasure room?"
"So where's someplace easy for us to move all this stuff?" Mikey asked.
"How about Leo's room?" Donnie asked.
"What?" asked Leo.
"Leo's room." Donnie said, looking at Leo.
"Hang on, no one goes in there." Mikey said.
"Exactly." Donnie smiled, "The servants don't even go in there to clean. Saki would never think to look there."
He gave Leo another look.
"You make a compelling argument." Usagi said.
"There's just one problem," Casey said, "How're we gonna move all this stuff here," he gestured to all the treasure in the passageway, "to some other room in the Palace?"
"We'll figure it out," April said, "We're smart like that."
"Are we sure this is the best plan?" Raph asked, "Why not move it to another passageway?"
"That might work," Usagi said, "However, as soon as Lord Saki discovers the significance of the turtle symbol, we must assume that he will be able to find every passageway in the Palace."
"So," Leo said, "When do we start the move?"
"In a few hours." Usagi said, "I believe we have worked enough for now. We should rest."
"Right." Casey said, "I'll take April back to the villagers. Come get us as soon as you need us."
He picked up a candle, and with a chorus of good-byes the two of them started walking down the passage.
"I'd better go as well," Leo said, "I have abandoned my duties long enough. I will come back as soon as I can."
He bowed at the remaining Princes and Usagi, and started walking away without a candle, careful to step around all the jewels.
He had walked half-way down the passage when he heard footsteps behind him.
"Wait!" Donnie said, and suddenly he was next to Leo, "You can't go back there." He whispered.
"What? Of course I can," Leo said.
"No, you can't," Donnie whispered, "You've already been gone from the kitchens too long. Saki won't be so nice to you this time."
"I can take care of myself, Donatello." Leo whispered back, "I always have."
"No, you don't understand," Donnie shook his head, "I don't think he's just going to punish you this time. You can't go back there."
"Don," Leo said, looking at him as best as he could in the dark, "Is something wrong?"
"Remember how we went to Leo's room when we left Saki?" Donnie said.
"Yes," Leo said hesitantly.
"It was the first place you thought to go." Donnie said.
"Yes?" Leo asked.
"I realized it just now, when we were talking about the treasure. I can't believe I didn't notice it before. Maybe I didn't want to." Donnie said.
"What are you talking about?" Leo asked.
"I'm still trying to figure it out," Donnie said, "Because it doesn't make sense. But all the evidence is there."
"Don," Leo said, grasping his brother by the shoulders, "What are you trying to say?"
"The servants don't go in Leo's room," Donnie whispered, "No one does. So why did you choose to go there?"
"Because I panicked," Leo explained, taking his hands off Don's shoulders, "And I knew it was empty."
"Maybe," Donnie said, "But that doesn't explain everything. You know how that toy works, the one Mikey found in the treasure room. You know about the Seal. And then there's Saki. Why does he treat you like that?"
"Prince," Leo said, turning to Don, "I keep my eyes and ears open. I always have. So I've picked up a few things."
"So have I. And you can't go back to the kitchens." Donnie said, "We're in a war, and Saki's not going to keep his promise for much longer. You're in danger."
"Prince, I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine." Leo said, "He's kept it so far, hasn't he?"
Then he stopped, and cringed.
"Sorry," Leo said, starting to walk again, "I think we're talking about two different things."
"So, we're not talking about the promise Saki made to keep the royal children safe?" Donnie asked, falling in step beside him.
Leo froze.
"That's what I thought." Donnie said, "Leonardo, I think we need to talk."
