WARNING: Contains some strong language
Chapter Three
Old Memories Erupt
That night, Mona found it difficult to sleep, after her training she returned to join the others but said nothing about what she was feeling, yet there were times she felt like screaming as Tyroth was still talking about his parents arriving the next day and Amber was talking about how they were going to be a family again at Christmas after everything they went through.
She was pleased for the dragon and she did feel ashamed of herself for feeling such things, she didn't hate Tyroth or that fact that he had his family back, she was sure that the other Mutopians and even Sephie felt some envy that they had never reunited with their families, but she could tell they didn't feel what she did, at least on her level.
Yet despite her feelings, she tried not to let it interfere with the fact that there was a lot to do in Mutopia for Christmas.
Many plans had been made for the following night, especially as it two days before Christmas Eve.
Louie the Chef had cooked up many treats and meals ready for their feasts, Tyroth had even persuaded the giant cockroach mutant if he could help with whipping up a few foods of his own.
"Everything has to be perfect!" the excited Dragon mutant had said as he provided a list of foods he wanted to cook.
Mona had recognised many of the foods on his list, as he had made her and the turtles those dishes last year when he and Sephie had spent the first half of Christmas in the lair back in New York.
One she remembered was a rice pudding with an almond in the middle. A pudding that Tyroth said was that one found the almond, that they would be lucky, and that year, She and Raphael had been the lucky ones to get the almond, or rather, Raphael had swallowed his and almost choked on it!
Just thinking of that incident made her chuckle slightly as well as push away any dark thoughts within.
Yet seeing the lists of food Tyroth had that he wanted to cook, she couldn't help but think of when she used to help her parents prepare dinner and treats for Christmas, especially when making gingerbread men or edible tree decorations.
Looking up at Amber and Tyroth, she kept feeling like a balloon that has gone pop, yet she tried to keep focused, there was so much to do.
As well as preparing for the feasts, many of the residents had decided to put a choir together to sing some Christmas carols and there was even going to be a couple of discos.
Sephie had convinced Mona to sing in the choir to which the lizard lady agreed and they had decided amongst everyone else in the choir to sing some songs and who would sing some solos.
Mona was lucky enough to get given a couple of solos, and she promised she was practice hard to get ready.
Yet afterwards, Mona didn't feel like singing, after supper she had decided to get an early night, but she didn't get a chance to properly think as Raphael decided to join her. In a way it was a blessing as being with Raphael took her mind off her dark thoughts and luckily Raphael didn't notice the way she was feeling as they had made love that night.
But now her mate was sleeping next to her, and she was awake.
Mona looked across to Raphael who was laying on his shell and one arm flung over his head, Mona smiled softly at how cute he looked, she placed a couple of fingers on his plastron and trailed her fingers on it, luckily Raphael was so fast asleep he didn't feel her fingers.
Mona lay back down and watched her lover's chest move up and down, she watching the rhythm of his breathing gave her some form of comfort and she closed her eyes again.
Finally after a few minutes, Mona finally felt the sleep take over.
But the silence of sleep didn't last, as Mona soon felt light invade her eyes, opening them carefully she soon found herself in a place she hadn't seen in so long and the smell of roses filled her nose.
Sitting bolt upright, she soon saw she was in her own room! Her room in Winsconsin! Her heart beating fast, Mona lifted her hand to touch her face then saw it was flesh and pink!
Throwing off her duvet she soon realised she wasn't scaly anymore and she had no tail.
Running to her bedside mirror, she saw her face, no scaly, no slits for a nose, but rather her own nose with her high cheekbones.
"The hell...?" she touched her face over again and tried to make sense of what was going on.
Just then, she heard voices.
"Mona! Mona, honey!" Mona turned to the door and her face lit up, hearing that voice, it could only be one person.
"Mom!" she cried, tears filled her eyes, she missed her parents so much "Mom!" she ran for the door and pulled her dressing gown on as she did, "Mom! Dad! Jake! Callum!"
She pulled open her bedroom door and ran outside, she looked around the hallway, it was the same hallway she knew in her human days, yet she couldn't see her family anywhere.
"Mom?" she called "Mommy?" she walked around and kept calling "Dad? Jake? Callum? Where are you guys?"
Mona felt a niggling feeling in her stomach, at first it had been excitement, but now it was fear, something didn't feel right.
"Mom...dad...Jake...Callum?" Mona called again, she walked over to the sitting room door and placed her hand on the doorknob "Mom...? Are you there?"
She pushed open the door, yet no soon did she do so than she found herself in an alleyway.
"What the fuck?" she thought as she stepped through it "What's going on?"
As Mona walked into the alleyway, she looked down at her clothes and found herself wearing a pink dress and dark pink cardigan.
No sooner did she see her dress then look up at the alley did she realise what was going on and she quickly turned away to walk back to the house, but she was soon greeted by a graffiti wall.
"No!" she thought "Oh God! No no, no, no, no!" she ran to the wall and placed her hands on it, as if by sheer will the door would appear and she could escape, but she couldn't.
She then heard sinister laughter.
Turning around, Mona held up her hands ready to fight.
"You won't take me this time..." she thought as she gritted her teeth "You won't...you won't take me..."
Her eyes darted around as she heard the laughter get louder, her heart pounded in her chest so hard it hurt.
Just then, she saw some figures coming towards her in the steaming alleyway, she clawed her hands and lifted one foot, remembering her kung fu training.
"Bastards..." she hissed, "I beat you once...I will do it again!"
Before long, the shadows turned to full figures and she soon saw the Purple Dragons appear, all sporting street wear and adorned with their purple dragon tattoos.
All of them had that hungry look in their eyes and all had their weapons drawn, whether it be pipes, poles, knives, guns and chains.
"Looks like we got some action boys!" one of them said, his eyes glowing red as he spoke.
"Oh yeah!" said a second "We've had a rough day, and it looks like some good lucks finally come!"
Mona felt sick to the stomach as she heard those monsters speak, as well as feel scared.
"Come on..." she snarled "I'll rip off all your dicks! Make you all useless to women!"
"I think you're out of luck bitch!" said one of the other Purple Dragons "There's one of you, and quite a few of us!"
The gang smirked and stepped towards Mona who still kept her hands and foot up to fight.
"Get her!" shouted the leader and at once the gang leapt at Mona, who bravely tried to fight back.
But as Mona tried to fight, she soon realised that she couldn't fight them all on her own and they all seemed to overpower her.
"No!" she screamed "You won't take me! You won't fucking take me!"
She continued to punch and kick but the gang laughed as her strikes and kicks didn't seem to hurt them, and before long they soon overpowered her and pushed her to the floor laughing and jeering.
"No!" Mona screamed as she kicked and punched despite being held down and the gang tearing at her clothes and scratching her skin "NO! NO! NOOOOOO...!"
Mona sat up with a start, she was drenched in sweat and she breathed heavily, blinking her eyes she found herself back in her and Raphael's guest room in Mutopia.
Rubbing her scaly forehead she taking a few breathes, she felt the tears sting her eyes.
She thought she had banished those nightmares away years ago, yes the memories were painful, but she thought that with the love and support of those close to her, her mate, her new family and friends, she had let them go.
Digging her fingertips into her head, Mona gritted her teeth and tried to clear her mind.
"What is wrong with me?" she thought.
She looked back at Raphael, he was still sleeping soundly, and hadn't even flinched when she had woken up.
Sighing and not wanting to wake her love and worry him, Mona pulled her robe on and crept to the door. She decided to take a little walk and maybe splash her face with cold water as she was feeling very heated.
Walking outside the room, she sighed softly as she felt the cool air, she took a few steps past the other bedrooms quietly, she was thankful she had intense ninja skills, for she didn't want to wake anyone.
She soon came to a stop by a small Christmas tree in the hallway and leaned against the wall. She ran her hand over her messy hair and tried to think.
"Why the hell am I feeling this way? And why have my nightmares come back?"
Deep down she did know why she was feeling that way, she knew she felt angry and resentful, she had kept pushing it down all day and it could feel it resurfacing again.
"I can't feel this way..." she whispered "I was happy for Tyroth! I was! And I still am! I just...I just wish I had the same luck...I'd...I'd give anything to see my family again...even if it is for just a short time...just to tell them I love them...and they're in my heart..."
"Mona..."
Mona almost had a heart attack and she looked up to see Sephie standing nearby and looking half asleep.
"Sephie!" cried Mona "You scared me..."
"Sorry..." said Sephie walking over to the lizard lady "I was coming out of the toilet and I saw you...are you okay?"
"I'm fine..." Mona lied "I'm just...I just had a bad dream is all...thought I'd come out here and clear my thoughts."
Sephie looked at Mona and sighed. She had seen that look before, it was when she and Mona first met in New York, after the lizard lady had tried to attack her thinking her to be a clone created by Dr Arden, then eventually they decided to talk and Sephie had convinced Mona to open up to her.
"Mona..." she said "Something's troubling you isn't it?"
"What makes you say that?" asked Mona.
"I can tell when something's bothering you." Said Sephie "I know you well...I remember you being like this when we first met...what's wrong?"
"I don't want to talk about it..." said Mona.
"Mona..." Sephie sighed "Please...don't shut anyone out...it's not good for you...remember what happened to Leo..."
"I know Sephie!" said Mona in an agitated tone "But please...I'm just...I really don't want to talk...I'm too tired..."
"But Mona..." said Sephie "I said I'd be here for you...and I want to be! I'm your friend! You do trust me don't you?"
"I do!" said Mona "I do Sephie!" she placed her hands on Sephie's shoulders "But please...respect my decision when I say I just want to be left alone for now...when I want to speak I will..."
Sephie looked into Mona's blue eyes and sighed again in defeat.
"Okay Mona..." she said "But please...please don't keep things bottled up...we're your friends...we want to be there for you..."
"I know..." said Mona "I appreciate it..." she let go of Sephie and began to return to her room "Goodnight Sephie...we got a lot to do tomorrow."
Sephie watched Mona return to her room.
"Night Mona..." she said softly "Hope you sleep okay..."
She watched Mona return to her room, then walked to her own, troubled thoughts filling her head.
Seems the thoughts are getting to Mona harder than we thought, and she's even refusing to talk to Sephie about it now.
Note: The events that are mentioned in this chapter come from the fics 'Fury Within Her' 'A Warrior's Journey' and 'Mutant Vigilanties'