Katt had something to work on this week so she asked me to upload this chapter. I'm personally happy to finally see some romantics between my two favorite characters! Anyone else excited too? I feel like there hasn't been enough growth between these them. What's your favorite scene between the two?

Review please.

-Ravyne

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Call of the Dragon

PART 3

3

3-11.2: "Ryu"

"Karai! I know you're here. Come out. You don't have to be afraid anymore," Leo calls.

Ryu is just walking up to the group out of the shadows when she hears Leo calling for the mutated girl. She glances at Venus, who is staring at her with an obvious 'where-were-you' look, but she ignores it as a familiar hissing sound catches everyone's attention. Karai slithers slowly out of her hideaway in the shadows, and the moonlight glistens off her white scales.

Ryu drops her eyes to the ground. Her plan hadn't worked…at least…not immediately. There's no visible sign that anything has changed, but, as Donnie had said, Karai is a unique mutant. It may take time.

"We can help you," Leo continues as he holds up the last remaining spray canister of the orange, sparkling retro-mutagen. "With this."

For a second, Karai glances in Ryu's direction, raising many eyebrows in question, only to lower her head in submission so that Leo can spray her with the cure. The orange mist covers her head to tail in a fine vapor before vanishing like a misty morning fog. They all hold their breath and wait for a miracle to happen; April remembers how her father had been changed back, completely nude, and silently wonders if she should've brought something for the girl to change into.

Nothing happens.

"It doesn't work," Leo breathes in defeat. "Donnie?"

"I told you, Leo. Karai is special. She's not a normal mutant," his younger brother explains. Ryu lowers her head again and chews on the inside of her cheek.

"Then it was all for nothing?!" Raph groans.

The guilt in Ryu's chest thickens.

Leo shakes his head in defiance, "It doesn't matter. You can come home with us, Karai. We'll take care of you, I promise."

Karai lurches away sharply when Leo tries to reach out for her, "Nooo… Too…dangerousssss… My mind isssss…goooooing…"

"Wait, then why did you want us to find you?!" Leo argues.

Karai turns to all of them with a deep sadness and longing in her snake eyes, a profound pain that goes deeper than any of them will ever know, "Wanted…to say…goodbyyyye…to all…of you." With those last defining words, she twists and leaps through the air with a graceful dive, disappearing over the banister and into the dark waters beyond.

Leo races forward to stop her but ultimately misses her by mere inches, "No! Karai!"

They all go to the banister to look over the side with him. The waters ripple out where Karai had dived in, but there's no sign of her below the dark surface. The only one to make a sound is poor little Mikey, who is sobbing in defeat and wiping his eyes sadly.

Ryu leans away from the beam and turns her eyes to the stars above, highlighted by the bright moon in the sky. "We'll figure out a way to help you, Karai," she can hear Leo whisper to the dark waters, "I promise."

April suddenly gasps behind the group and points across the dark park, "Guys, BeeBop and Rocksteady are gone!"

"Ah, let 'em go," Raph waves her off, "The next time I see 'em, they won't walk away."

Ryu barely registers his comment—usually, she would poke fun at his huge ego, but right now, her spirit isn't in the mood. Would her plan work in time? Would it work at all? The retro-mutagen hadn't, so what's to say hers would?

She sighs heavily in defeat.

"What'd you do?"

She starts, bringing her eyes down to find Venus glaring at her right in the face, arms crossed angrily across her chest. Ryu meets the taller girl's glare, "What do you mean?"

"Don't give me that crap," Venus snaps, drawing the attention of the rest of the group. "That snake looked right at you."

"And?"

"And nothing. I know you did something."

Ryu raises her hands in surrender, "I don't know what you're talking about. All I did was find her a bit ago and explain that we wanted to help her and that Donnie had a retro-mutagen cure for her. She slithered off after that."

Not a total lie.

Venus's glare deepens for a long moment before she turns away, popping her lolli-pop back in her mouth and folding her hands behind her head as she walks, "Don't think I won't figure it out, kid. You're not good at lying."

Ryu drops her eyes and follows after her.

"Come on, team, let's go home," Leo breathes.

…...

Later that night, after Ryu finishes her shower, she quickly grabs a few items and rushes out the door. Climbing the fire escape to the roof two steps at a time, she stretches out a blanket and sits down indian-style to comb out her wet hair. High above her, the moon hangs in the sky like a silver halo watching over the world. Clouds float across its hoary surface, casting shadows around her and beckoning the cold wind to swirl against her exposed arms.

She's changed into PJs for the night, long gray sweatpants, and a dark green tank top, so her arms and shoulders break out into goosebumps from the chilly kiss of the sudden breeze. The comb slides through her wet hair quietly as she tries to calm her stressed thoughts.

Since freeing Splinter and setting up their temporary base here at the pizza restaurant, the walls seem to close in more around her every day, forcing her into an inevitable crash with the ninja master. Ryu squeezes her eyes shut at the thought.

"You have no say in my decisions! You're not my father!"

Her own distant words cut like daggers into her heart, making her flinch in physical pain. She abandons the comb in front of her crossed legs and drops her head heavily into her hands, running her fingers into her head so she can rub away the headache starting to form there. Even her own words hurt her; there's no doubt in her mind they did some damage to Splinter.

How could she say something like that to him?! He's been nothing but kind to her. He gave her a home—TWICE!—and trained her for free. He pushed her when she was ready to give up, helped her to her feet when she fell….

Geez, in all actuality, he truly has been like a-.

No, she stops herself, quickly sitting up straight as a board, I won't say it. He died. He's gone. I don't need another.

Picking up her comb again, she busies her mind with trying to brush out her hair so that it will dry quicker. She doesn't have time to be worrying about minor things like this. Figuring out how she's going to apologize for those terrible words is her number one priority. She has to fix her mistake.

The water droplets flung from her hair land on the surface of her blanket in an almost noise as she works through her hair silently, her only companion in the night. Maybe she should've brought her phone up so that she could play some music.

Yeah, right, Ryu. Wouldn't that be a smart plan? Draw in every Kraang in the nearby area so they can discover your secret lair and put your whole family in danger. Ryu rolls her eyes at her own thoughts. It's already enough that she has to hide under the water tower on the roof in case she spies a Kraang droid or probe zooming by.

"Ryu?"

The sudden whisper makes her jump, and her comb clatters out of her hand and onto the blanket in shock, "Geez, you scared me!"

Raph slips out of the shadow of the water tower and pauses just a foot away from her setup. Their eyes meet, and she smiles openly. He can't begin to describe the effect that smile has on him. The number one thing that seems to be a constant new companion of his now is the flush of heat that breaks across his face whenever she's near, silently reminding him to be thankful that he wears a red mask. Reaching up to rub the back of his neck, Raph adverts his eyes hurriedly so she won't be able to see the true reach of his emotions.

If she knew I liked her, she'd freak out, he thinks as he looks down at his opposite hand and flexes it slowly in and out. That green, mutant flesh has no place next to her pale skin. And the guys would never let me live it down.

"Raph?"

He glances uneasily up at her and notices that she's slid over across the soft blanket spread out under her.

She pats the open spot of the bedspread next to her, "Care to join me?"

Raph's eyes open wide in surprise, glancing from her to the blanket and then back to her. Is she serious? Is she joking? She couldn't be serious…right? "U-uh…I uh…"

Ryu's smile falters at his speechless state, and understanding comes over her, Of course, he's busy.

"I'm sorry," she forces a soft laugh, "I just…figured that you had nothing to do. But if you're busy, I understand-."

"No!" She jumps at his sudden outburst. Raph quickly covers up his blunder with a scoff and well-placed shrug as he threads his thumbs into his belt, "I mean, no. We…started watching a movie downstairs, but it's…pretty boring."

Ryu chuckles, "Well, you want to be bored with me then? I've got plenty of boredom to go around."

Again, she pats the blanket next to her, and Raph rubs his neck once more with a shy smile, nodding his agreement. Despite years of ninja training, it takes all his strength to keep his knees from shaking like a giraffe on ice as he timidly takes a seat next to her. Almost instantly, he can feel her body heat reach out and surround him, and the flush on his face worsen. For the first time in his life, Raph is glad his mask is red.

Awkwardness thickens the air, and their bodies tense at the nearness of the other. Ryu tries to stay focused on brushing out her hair, but her thoughts keep recalling how his large hands felt holding hers or how it felt to embrace him the way they had back at the farmhouse. She wonders if it will ever happen again. Would he want it to? Why had he in the first place? Had he been worried about her? She'd do anything to be able to read minds. Just to know what he's thinking…if he's thinking about that….or her…or…

Raph's gaze keeps wandering over to her face, seeing the moonlight paint the glow of a halo around her as it reflects off her white-silver hair as she brushes it slowly. He wrings his hands together nervously as they drape over his knees, recalling the feel of her soft skin again when he had embraced her at the farm house. That moment has replayed in his dreams every night since then, and he's started to miss it to the point of craving it. These new emotions stirring in him are completely new, and he's not sure how to handle them. He swallows heavily.

"I just-."

"Can I-?"

They both break out into quiet laughter as they realize they both started speaking at the same time. Some of the tension fades away at the sound, and their stiff forms unwind. Raph glances over at her again out of the corner of his eye and takes in her features for what seems like the thousandth time today. No matter how many times he looks, he always finds something else new about her.

"Sorry," Ryu smirks at him, "You can go first."

"No, it's fine. You can start," Raph shakes his head.

"I don't mind, really."

Raph shrugs casually and throws her his usual sideways grin, "Ladies first."

Her smile falters at his words, and she can feel her heart fumble in her chest. Since when did he have manners? Ryu releases a sudden breath she didn't realize she was holding, quickly turning her eyes down to her hands before her face can explode into an even deeper shade of red; there's no way she can let him see her like this.

"O-okay, um…" She lets her fingers busy themselves in her hair, brushing out the last water drops clinging desperately to the strands. "Well, I…wanted to say thank you."

Raph spins fully towards her.

"When I left after…well, the whole thing with Tigerclaw, I was fully prepared to come back and face the chaos I no doubt caused. I knew you'd be mad; I knew all of you would be mad. I was willing to take the punishment because we all know I deserve it."

Raph, listening to her every word, can't help but let his gaze fall to her hair again as it once more catches the moonlight, that halo glowing back into existence around her head. He takes an unease breath, his hands clenching into fists. Is her hair as soft as it looks? Is it thin or thick? He doesn't understand why he can't get over his fascination with her hair. It doesn't make any sense to him. It's as strong as his love for martial arts.

Finally, all out of knots to work through, she drops her hands into her lap and stares down at them. The wind picks up and stirs her hair. The silver-white strands twirl playfully into the air around her face and tickle the skin of her cheeks.

"I don't know why any of you forgave me. I'll probably never understand…but I am grateful," Ryu smiles down at her fingers as they thread together in her lap.

Her words barely register in his thoughts before his own leave his mouth before he can think clearly, "You deserve it."

Ryu glances at him in surprise only to find him staring, oddly absorbed, at her hair. Just as he had in the clearing when he had forgiven her back at the farm, he is gawking at her hair as if it's a target or something. She glances down at her hair and then back at his intense gaze. Could he…?

Hmm… Ryu fights back a smile and reaches for the comb, forgotten on the blanket in front of her and flips it casually in her hands while she speaks, "Thank you, Raph, I mean that. I honestly wish there was something I could do to pay you back."

Her words jerk him out of his stupor, and he ducks his head so she won't see the deepening blush on his face, "I-It's fine…really."

"Are you sure?"

He senses the movement before he sees it. When he turns towards her, he finds that she's turned her back to him and is sweeping her hair over her shoulder so that it flows down her back like a veil of white light.

Raph stiffens back up into a statue, What is she doing?

"Here," she twists her arm backward and places her comb into his hands. He stares down at it, jaw slack, unsure of what to do. Ryu shifts her gaze back over her right shoulder, "You okay?"

"I-I…u-uh…you-."

She grins, biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing, "It won't bite you, Raph. It's a comb. Just run it through the hair from top to bottom. It's real easy."

"I know how to work it!" Raph snaps before coughing his embarrassment away. "I just don't know….why you…uh…"

She catches on to what he's saying. "Cause my hair is still wet, and I have to brush it out until it's dry, or else it will be a tangled mess until I wash it again. And don't worry about pulling my hair—I've got a hard head."

Raph doesn't move. How can he? He doesn't know what to do. Does he take up the comb? Does he figure out the answer to the burning question that's been plaguing him for weeks?

Does he run for his life?

He swallows heavily.

Little by little, with each passing silent moment, her shoulders droop. The moonlight vanishes again as a cloud drifts over it, and the halo hanging bright around her hair disappears. Raph finds himself able to breathe a bit easier.

Her voice stumbles into the silence, "U-um…Raph, if you don't want to, it's fine. I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that." She turns around enough to face him and smiles sheepishly, "Sorry."

As she reaches over for the comb, Raph's hand instinctively pulls away, gripping the object tighter as if it's his most prized possession. Her eyes dart up to his, confused, but those bright green eyes have already dropped down to his hands; any hope of an emotional giveaway dashed.

"I…I've got it," he answers softly.

Ryu blinks in question but slowly turns back around and draws her knees up to her chest to wait anxiously. Her nerve endings warm all across her back, almost as if reaching out towards him, even through her clothes, and she ducks her head into the tops of her knees in embarrassment.

Calm down, Ryu! What's your problem?!, she screams internally.

It's at that second that she feels the tips of his fingers brush over her shoulder, and she just barely has the time to bite back a gasp.

Raph tries to avoid touching the exposed skin of her shoulders, aiming for the narrow strip of fabric of her tank top that loops over her shoulder, but his hand rebels, and his fingertips brush the top of her shoulder. He bites his tongue and forces his mind to concentrate on her hair.

The moon slips out from behind the clouds, reigniting that glow around her white hair, and his concentration all but shatters. His hand falters for a second.

Stop being such a scatter brain, Raph. You're worse than Donnie!, he growls at himself.

He threads his fingers through her hair and lifts it off her back, the length almost reaching her waist, and he marvels at the feel. Not silk but just as soft. Raph releases an unsteady breath, and his courage builds a bit more. He drops the comb into his lap and instead uses both of his hands to brush through her hair now, just soaking up the feel of it into his skin as he sweeps out the length of it. Water drips off each strand of hair onto his palms, but he doesn't care.

He's not sure how long they sit there in silence or how long he's blessed with the time to live out the dream that's plagued him for almost as long as he's known her, but he does know that as it passes, her hair dries and becomes softer and smoother. The curls, drawn up from the water, relax and plane out, and he finds himself missing them as they go.

"Um…"

Raph starts at the sudden sound of her voice.

"Can I…ask you something?"

His hands pause, "Y-yeah, sure."

The wind stirs again, swirling her silvery hair through his fingers as he waits for her to speak. Slowly, her head lowers onto her knees, which she wraps her arms around tightly. That's when he takes note of how stiff she's gone; why hadn't he noticed? Did he do something wrong?

"Do you think…" Ryu starts. "Um…H-how mad…do you think…Splinter is? With me, I mean?"

Raph's shoulders relax, slight frustration tinging his blood, "Are you still worried about that?"

Ryu's stiff shoulders slouch, and her knees fall to the sides until she's sitting indian-style again, "Still worried?!" She shoots to her feet, startling him as she spins around to face him, "Yes! Don't act like you didn't hear what I said to him before I left. I know you did."

"Ryu-."

"Don't!" she cuts him off, turning away to lean against the silent AC unit box nearby, folding her arms across it and burying her face away. "Just don't."

Raph watches the stress return to her shoulders, the sight darkening his mood, and even the moonlight seems to pull away from her, leaving her once glowing hair a plain silver-white. He quickly climbs to his feet and goes to her side, grabbing her shoulder and forcing her to face him.

"Splinter isn't mad at you, Ryu," Raph tells her. "Trust me, I would know. Splinters may get upset sometimes but he's never been known to hold a grudge."

Ryu throws him a disbelieving look, "How do you explain Shredder then?"

Raph opens and shuts his mouth, reaching back to scratch the back of his head, "Uh… I think that's more of a…deep caution?"

Ryu rolls her eyes, shaking her head and dropping her eyes back to the ground between their feet. "I know what I said to him. I know I hurt him; there's no way he could let that go. He's been nothing but kind to me, constantly helping me, and has given me so many second chances that I don't deserve—."

"Exactly!"

Ryu gives a start at his outburst.

Raph rubs his forehead in frustration, silently lecturing himself for practically yelling at her, "What I mean is, Splinter has always been the one to hand out second chances and third chances. I can't begin to tell you how many times I've messed up with my anger, and he forgave me."

Ryu smirks half-heartedly, "So you admit that you have a temper."

Half expecting him to snap at her, he surprises her by chuckling and leaning back on the AC unit to stare up at the night sky. She watches him for a moment, wondering at how much he's matured since she left, and she's sure he refuses to let anyone know about it. Ryu smiles to herself the second she ponders whether or not she's the only one who sees him like this.

It's hard to believe how much we didn't trust each other in the beginning, she thinks. I can't believe we're where we are now. Her eyes find the sky too, leaning next to him against the AC unit on her left hip, crossing her arms over her chest. The wind picks up once more just as the clouds uncover the bright moon above, and her hair goes into a swirling frenzy around her shoulders.

Beside her, Raph's eyes find their way into those tresses as the moonlight sets them aglow and follows their dance into the soft wind. Maybe it's because he's already broken through that awkwardness of wanting to touch her hair but couldn't, or that he's still craving the feeling of those locks between his fingers, he's not sure, but his right hand reaches out gently and wraps a few strands through his grasp.

Ryu's eyes drop to his hand as he softly pulls the hair framing the right side of her face, forcing her to turn her face with the draw towards him. She isn't expecting his face to be so close, mere inches away.

Raph's gaze lifts in shock too, and they stare back at one another, caught in the moment of surprise, but neither wanting to move away. Both are too afraid to breathe, both not knowing what to say.

What do I do?!, Raph thinks. If he moves forward, would she move away? Would she let him move closer? If he moves back, would she sigh in relief or defeat? His whole chest tightens anxiously as his throat dries with unspoken words. Ryu's mouth opens slightly, as if she's going to say something, and against his will, Raph's eyes fall to her lips.

"Guy?"

They both jump away from each other in alarm at the abrupt voice calling across the roof. Mikey freezes at the top of the ladder, jaw going slack when he sees them and eyes bulging out of his head. A second later, he falls out across the roof in a heap of laughter.

"What did I just walk in on?!" he hoots. "Were you guys making googly eyes at each other?" He starts making kissing noises in a teasing fashion, but Raph isn't taking it. His anger flares up as red as his mask, and he charges across the top of the building at his younger brother with a roar. Mikey jumps to his feet frantically, letting out his usual frightened scream, and leaps off the rooftop.

"MIKEY!"

Ryu watches them disappear, slowly reaching up to place a hand over her chest, her heart still pounding uncontrollably. Taking a moment to absorb the recent change of events, she chuckles breathlessly up at the night sky, smiling gently at the soft, glowing moon.

She's not sure what all that was about, whether or not Raph had momentarily thought about kissing her, but there's a tiny piece deep inside her that wishes he had…and it makes her nervous.

Side Note:

Bold Underlined-any words in this dual affect are an Unknown Voice.

Author's Note:

We DO NOT own TMNT.

Ryu, along with any other new characters, and our storyline is copyrighted to Katt B. and Ravyne.

Review please.

-Ravyne