Ch1 What should we do?
"WHAT!" Leo screamed over the phone getting the other's attention.
"Ancient One, what do you mean you forgot? We planned this whole month just for you to see and visit us! Master Splinter was looking forward to it!"
"I'm sorry Leonardo, but well….The plane trip was delayed and I went hiking up in the Himalayas instead!" he sounded rather embarrassed about breaking the news to him but nonetheless, ecstatic about his alternative route.
"It was so amazing to tour here it made me completely forget about the whole thing!"
Leo had to slap a palm to his face in frustration, all that planning gone to waste.
"It'll probably take me a few weeks to get to New York, you could get lost in these mountains *KRSSSHH KRSSSH!* sorry I'm breaking up, gotta go!"
The phone went dead, "Yeah take your sweet time while you're at it!" Leo said before hanging up.
The Ancient One had been bored staying in his home and his retirement from saving the world and kicking evil's butt did not give him enough enjoyment to see the world as a normal traveler and kick it at either Rome or New York's fancy clubs. With New York and its exotic dancers in mind, he decided to also see the Hamato family, but his delay postponed their visitation, much to everyone's dismay. Except Mimi le Mime of course, his visit was on the same day as her vaudevillian performance. She jumped up and down and danced in triumph, with that out of the way, the turtles could see her miming, she never done it on stage before. She spun around imagining the crowd of people applauding her and the Ninja Turtles clapping at her amazing talent. Splinter was sure to be proud and her Master Yumiko too. If only she was around.
"He's not able to come." Leo said aggravated.
"Oh." Was all Splinter could say after sipping a cup of tea, he was sad that he couldn't come, he was hoping he could and he's been feeling so bored lately. It's as if nothing interests him anymore.
Mimi came up to Leo and danced around him holding one of those old time cootie catchers they had a long time ago.
See? See? I told you the cootie catcher was right! #4 section blue, a long awaited visitor would delay his trip.
Leo scoffed, "That was just coincidence! Who would believe a folded scrap of paper and numbers anyway?"
"Woo-hoo!" Mikey cheered, "Mine says, there will be an unexpected arrival of a lover." He sighed and swooned over, "I hope it's Demetra Zan. I've never had a lover before, this is the first time I would actually have a real girlfriend!"
"Okay, maybe Mikey." Leo said watching his goofy brother prance merrily daydreaming of his worshipped idol.
Splinter groaned from the table, he sullenly pushed away his tea. Leo glared at him.
"Uh…woops, I forgot that he had…sorry sensei."
"That's okay Michelangelo, we weren't like that I'm just not feeling any good as of now." He said.
Mikey and Leo looked at eachother doubtingly, "Are you sure?" Mikey asked. "It seems like to me you really had something with the way you kissed her and-…"
Splinter just moped and groaned again.
Leo slapped a hand over his mouth, "Mikey! Don't remind him anymore about the kiss!" he snapped at him.
Five months ago, the turtles and Splinter had a run-in with a lady mutant rat named Yumiko who was robbing their weapons from their home. After a small scuffle he could not help but think about her. Both were later captured and made to fight in an underground mutant fights by some rich sadistic tycoon. They bonded some time underground and who-knows-what happened to them and such, and it seemed Splinter had developed a romantic sentiment towards her, even after she duped him with a phony locket, cheated a bet, and left.
Ever since his encounter he acted differently. The boys and Mimi could tell that he had been rather spacey and has not constantly for five months scolded anybody for anything. One of those things would be Mikey and Mimi's exploding kitchen experiment using a lobster and toaster, Don's vehicle that rampaged and destroyed half the lair, Raph's hot headed outbursts, and Leo…for just being the overly puritanical Leo. It was rather hard on all of them not seeing the happy, strict, rat bachelor he was once ago.
All of them restrained themselves from doing or saying anything that will recall back anything about Yumiko. Raphael did all he can to convince Splinter about moving on and go like the normal rat sensei he'd always been, and miraculously, Raph's earnest persuasion paid off, (ironically they thought it'd be Leo to do the job). Five weeks later It was like he had forgotten (or more like gotten over) her and became a manifestation of the song "I will Survive" in a not so dramatic way, zen-like calmness, with a large dose of everyday usual self, it seemed that he would be okay from now and forever .
Now seven months later after the cure, he has not shown any signs of being the healthy wizened sensei they knew and loved who hummed about while making tea in the morning, he skipped his stories, and skipped meals. Darnit, he even locked himself in his room for a whole week with only a bottle of sake. All three were worried that he was showing symptoms of suppressed depression, and his heartache had finally gotten to him.
Mimi looked over at Leo and signed to him, we need to do something to snap him out of this mood. I just can't take the fact that he's acting like this!
"Well you're the expert of distraction, you find something."
You're his son! YOU do something! She quietly screamed. Leo was miffed a bit, but she did have a point.
He looked around to see Raph playing his DS, quickly he grabbed it from his hands.
"What the hell!" he yelled, "what're you doing I was just about to…"
He was cut off as the blue clad turtle gave the DS to Splinter.
"Master Splinter, how about a game? We'll play your favorite, Neo 2 Exile!"
The rat just shook his head, "As you know, my favorite is Castle Invaders." He replied coldly, much to his son's dismay.
Raphael looked over wondering what the heck his sensei would want with his game. He didn't even play his type of game, nor win at them!
"Uh Master, you alright?" he asked from the couch, his silence of course said it all.
Mimi nudged Mikey and pointed at the cake, this sparked an idea to the turtle. His sensei couldn't resist red velvet cupcakes, especially when it's made for him!
"Master, I made cupcakes, they're you're favorite!" he handed the pan over to him showing the array of beautiful crafted pastry. Sadly, he was just stone cold emotionless, leaving the turtle to saunter away feeling defeated.
"That's odd, he didn't even get happy. Nobody resists my red velvet cupcakes!"
"Ooh! Cupcakes! I'm starving!" Donnie appeared and grabbed one cake from the pan and chewed in delight. Mikey just glared, "they were for master!"
"Seems like he doesn't want them." He said, he was about to get another one before Mikey slapped his hand away, "One is all you get!"
"Geez, sorry." Donnie said before thinking how he got so serious.
Little Mimi le Mime just stood in the corner, it seemed like there was nothing that could cheer him up, she's already tried to make him watch a soap opera marathon with her yesterday and today, and the same answer was a no or a groan. The turtles have been trying everything from cracking jokes, inviting to kick bad guy butt, to over 140 things that Leo listed down for them to do. Sadly, it appears they were out of luck. The only answer for him to stop being this way is to find where that Lady Thief is and get them together. Unfortunately, there are just a few things that make it impossible:
They don't know where she is.
Yumiko is in total denial of being in love and ran away to some unknown place.
Raphael sorely disapproves of her presence in the lair and her affect on Splinter.
Roca, Mimi's pet turtle and mascot came from around the corner peeping like a newborn chick as always. "Peep, peep, peep, peep, peep, pi, pi pi pi pi." I think you should ask the cootie catcher of what to do, it always has the answer. The little turtle advised the mime.
She nodded approvingly. You're right, it could have the answer we're seeking, I can't give up hope! She took a deep breath and gave the silent question. Shifting the little folds, she lifted one flap anxiously.
Cheer a friend with a little performance and you'll get a positive response.
The idea dinged in her head that was it! She almost completely forgot about her show in the cabaret! She had to bring Splinter there, and with the many people in costumes backstage, she can bring the crew in there no sweat! This could work getting his mind off a girl for a bit.
She tugged on Don's arm and showed the cootie catcher's answer excitedly. Don just scoffed at the little thing.
"You can't be serious! You're taking advice from a piece of paper?"
Mimi raised an eyebrow, Got any other plans genius? Besides it's my performance night! Support me will ya!
"Peep pi pi pi pi pi pi!" It was my plan to tell her to use the thing!
Don waved his hands, "Okay, okay we'll do it." Mimi jumped in the air about ten feet and landed in Mikey's arms and kissed his cheek. After she noticed what she did she gagged up in disgust much to Mikey's delight.
Raphael put on his trench coat and hat, "Okay it looks like we're heading out guys. Anything to get Master outta this mood."
Mimi danced around like an idiot celebrating, that's when the grandfather clock in the living room bonged loudly, and it quieted the mime's revelry at an instant. The sound eerily resounded throughout the lair, like an ominous signal of impending doom. A ghostly silence swept among them, each bong the clock made were like the seconds that ticked towards the start of calamity, to add to it, a strange draft of cold air moved in, sending a spine-tingling sensation in their nerves.
"That was just weird." Donatello commented looking around nervously, but unlike him, the others shrugged it off, and there was Splinter who just sat broodingly calm.
Mimi felt a chill in her bones, she felt this sort of premonition before, an arrival of some omen or person back from the beyond, whatever it was she knew it was coming. But she, like the rest, was unprepared for the storm that will come.