IF YOU ARE READING THIS I LOVE YOU. Oh my gosh guys I am literally the worst updater on the planet, but I hope this chapter makes up for my missed time! A lot happens in this one so I think you'll be satisfied :)
I would like to thank ALL my reveiwers/favoriters/followers! You guys are so amazing and I love you! There's one reveiw in particular that caught my eye though and I want to thank Purpledaisygirl, or Chloe, for those amazing words! I'm so glad that I inspired you to write and I can happily say that this chapter is dedicated to you. Thank you again!
Enjoy!
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"My OCD's conking me in the head. Keep knocking, nobody's home, I'm sleepwalking."
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Chapter 12: A Love Longer Than Time
It was almost as if the sun didn't rise that next morning.
Everything was still as dark as it was when the monster was groggily dragging the injured girl through the sewer tunnels, only determination for April kept him going. As soon as Monstertello felt the air open around him, he knew that he was safe in him and April's little lair that they had been keeping. He was only aware of his victim's presence by her blood crusting on his arms and plastron, and her lagging breaths that told the beast that he hadn't killed his beloved yet.
All Don wanted to do was flop down on the stone cold floor and fall asleep, but he halted himself because he knew that April was badly injured, and it was all because of him and his stupid rage. Him and his stupid Leatherhead type rage.
Using a discarded cloth from an old dishrag that had fallen though the storm drain, Donnie dabbed and cautiously cleaned April's gashes on her ankles, wetting it with his own saliva since he trusted it more than the grimy sewer water around them on the floor. He knew that when she awoke that it would be hard to walk considering the damage to her ankles and leg, but the beast was more worried about how he nearly choked her to death and how it may have impacted her airways. She obviously wasn't awake, but not dead, so unconscious.
Every moment of every second he spent attempting to heal the human girl with a mismatching inventory of unauthorized medical supplies was a moment filled with regret, hurt, and Donatello mentally cursing himself for the pain he had inflicted on the one he loved.
"If you never wake up, my dear sweet April, I'll rock you to your eternal slumber..." Donnie's voice cracked and echoed through the silence, an utterly broken one at that. With this, he took April in his arms and moved them back and forth gently.
"I know what you must be thinking...that me talking to myself is a sign of nerves, but I can't help but be nervous. I mean, what if I'm never...myself again. How will I be able to face the world?"
April's breathing sparked for a moment, but died right back down.
"I destroyed that school...did you see anything else? Did I hurt Abigail that bad? I saw the table come down on her leg, and I heard her scream the most terrible scream, so it must've been an unpleasant experience..." Don looked through the blackness in hopes that little blue lights would be staring back up at him, but the girl wasn't answering his questions.
Or at least, she wasn't answering them out loud. The beast liked to maybe think that she could hear him through her coma-like state and was trying to tell him her answers through her mind. It was a long shot, but with all the oddities of late, it wouldn't have shocked anyone. Since nobody could tell him different, Donatello believed his theory and smiled his fanged grin happily, even if April couldn't see it.
"You look real pretty in that dress..."
"Thank you, Donnie. You picked out the perfect outfit for me." April replied in his mind.
"Well your welcome! Only the best for my favorite girl ever!" The creature said out loud.
"Favorite girl? That's quite an honor, Donatello." Achuckle slipped through in April's faked fancy accent that bounced off the walls of Don's mind.
"Well it's true, my dear! You are my favorite girl!"
"If I'm your favorite girl, why did you hurt me?" The words were cold.
Donatello's heart dropped. His own mind was fighting him back, at it was hitting him hard and where it really hurt. Fumbling with what he would say to "April" next, only stutters and mumbles of what was hard to piece together escaped the fangs that encircled the monster's mouth. Pain welled up inside the monster and they pushed the sad jumble of words out.
"I didn't mean to hurt you-"
"But you did." The thoughts cut though his speech. "You hurt me. You choked me, cut me, punctured my vulnerability, you took advantage of it."
"April-"
"There's no excuse, Donatello." A pause. "I hate you."
Monstertello let out an unearthly roar. He wasn't angry. He didn't want to throw the unconscious girl in his arms across the world and watch her squirm lifeless and bloody on the floor. Instead he hurried his face into April's dress and began to sob helplessly, completely soaking the fabric. The monster of New York roared out of pure and utter heartbreak. Slowly, his tears streamed down the legs of April O'Neil and made their way to her ankles were they cleansed her skin of the rest of the dried blood.
"Nnngh..." The small moan was almost unheard buried beneath the sobs that rattled April O'Neil awake. "W-wha? Where?...Where am I?"
It took the captive a minuet to adapt to her surroundings considering she couldn't see them. Her legs were wet, sticky with the warm sensation of lost blood from earlier, but she felt a weight and heavy breathing on her lap. Carefully putting a hand to her head, she stretched out her arm and grazed her fingers over every surface she could find. A rough head, coated in grime and other unknown sewer substances, it was obviously Donnie. He was crying harder than she'd ever seen anyone cry, but her last memory of him was extremely harsh and cold. Where even were they?
"D-Donnie?" She murmured.
"G-go to sleep..." He sobbed. "Telling m-me that you h-hate me isn't gonna h-help..."
"Donnie what are you talking about? I'm so confused." April's free hand flew up to her forehead where she began to furiously rub her temples. A horrible headache had smacked her suddenly.
"You said you h-hated me!" Monstertello's head snapped up but April could only feel the weight lift off her stomach.
"What?! I've been unconscious for god knows how long, how could I possibly say anything?!" She was angry, but more so confused.
"I heard your voice! It was so- it was so clear!" Donatello roared, his large tears splashing on April's arms and face.
"You were imagining it! It's okay, it's okay..." Feeling through the darkness, the teenage girl found Donatello's face and rubbed soothing circles on his face, like he had done for her at one point.
"I thought you were dying...and it would've been my fault..." The huddled mass of claws and rough skin murmured.
April's blue eyes looked up at Donnie and he could swear that they pierced the darkness. Like a flashlight, they lit up the space around him, they lit up his heart and a slight blush on his cheeks. They channeled the old emotions that he used to have time ago before his second mutation which turned him into what most people saw as a cold, mindless beast that rampaged and destroyed everything in his path. He was so much more complex than that. There was so much more to him. April was the only one who could see this.
"You nearly killed me." April's voice was soft.
"It's my biggest regret, April. I'm so sorry..." Sobs mixed in with his hurt tone.
"I'm not scared. I'm not going to leave you, not like this." The girl rubbed the damp fabric of the monster's mask between her fingers. "You can't control this and I understand. It's just..."
"It's just what, April?"
"It's just, why did you do this? Why did you mutate yourself? Was it an accident or, or an attempt to make you stronger?! I just don't see why you would ever do something like this...especially if there was a possibility of hurting someone close to you..." April spoke quickly, confusedly, but her voice calmed as she thought of reasons.
"You wouldn't...understand..." Donatello couldn't tell her the truth. She was the reason he was the way he was now because he didn't know how she would react. This also meant blowing his cover and telling April about his crush on her, but was it time? Was this the correct moment to tell her? Was this the moment he'd been waiting for?
"With everything we've been through, Donnie, I think I'll understand." April said with that common certain determination, but it wasn't harsh or rude.
"It's...embarrassing." The monster lowered his head.
"I won't judge you." She chuckled sweetly.
Donatello took a deep breath.
"April...ever since I first saw you, when you were walking down that street with your dad, before your life changed forever, I've wanted to tell you something...something I knew that you probably didn't feel..." Donatello's eyes scanned the room rapidly and his heart felt like it was going to break through his plastron.
"Well?" April said, pressing a hand to where his heart was threatening to pop out.
"And for the longest time, April O'Neil..." Don looked up into the darkness that was the ceiling. "I've been hopelessly, head over heels, in love with you."
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"C'mon! I think we've finally found the place again!" Raphael called as he jumped off a rooftop into a familiar alley.
"Do we really have to go back, dudes? This lady gives me the heebie-jeebies!" Casey whined, skating up besides the alley's entrance.
"Leo, dude! Let's pick up the pace!" Michelangelo laughed as his oldest brother struggled with landing successfully with the vile that held the antidote in his hands.
"I told you guys." The leader said. "Estelvoya may be creepy, but she can help us!"
"How do ya know she isn't a phony?"
"Raph, you saw those images of Donnie and April, how could she have possibly gotten those?" Leo carefully placed the antidote in his katana's quiver.
The four boys walked in front of the small building with the flickering neon lights, thick velvet shades that closed off Madame Estelvoya from the rest of the world, and newspapers that littered the areas that the drapes didn't cover. The door was small, as was the dinky little flip sign that said "open" in scribbled letters. Aside from the bright blues, magentas, and greens that nearly blinded them, the night was completely dark. Nobody dared to go out for fear that the monster of New York City may emerge from it's sewer retreats and after all the funerals that took place that day, nobody was in the mood for another round.
"It's darker here than it was before." Mikey remarked.
"It's been dark for awhile...this whole situation is strange." Casey leaned against his hockey stick.
"You guys are such wusses." Raph huffed as he pushed open the door and walked into the shop.
"Eeew that smell!" The youngest turtle's hand flew up to his face as the familiar, but still incredibly odd aroma of various spices mixed with mint, and now cinnamon, overwhelmed their senses.
The room was empty. Estelvoya's large crystal ball sat on the table, but nothing else lit up the room and a dead vibe floated in the air. Carefully sitting down so they wouldn't make any noise, the rescue team of four didn't speak and even held their breaths for short amounts of time because even the weight of breath on air was too much. Noticeable dust particles swarmed around and took up most of the space around them, battling with the stillness and awkwardness of the seconds.
"She should be here." Raphael broke the silence. "We're wasting our time."
"We need more information." Leonardo countered.
"Actually, we could be out there right now tracking Donnie and April down in the sewer tunnels!"
"THAT SEEEEMS LIKEEE A GOOD WAYYY TO KIIIILL YOURSEEELVEES!" A loopy voice screeched, making them all scream and jump in their seats. Estelvoya popped up suddenly, leaving halfway across the table with her makeup caked on heavier than ever and smile as wide and toothy as it was before.
"She showed up!" Casey breathed heavily.
"I noticed!" Raph grumbled.
"I am soooo HAPPYYY you all reeeturned!" The woman slinked back into her seat and folded her long and bony hands together.
"We're...happy to be here..." The oldest turtle fidgeted.
Madame Estelvoya collapsed against the table in a fit of hysterical cackles that made strands of beads that hung from the ceiling shake and fall onto the boys below. Mikey took his and knotted the ends into a necklace that he wrapped around his neck and nibbled on when he got nervous. Right now, the way that the claimed psychic in front of him was actin, made him nervous so he chewed quietly on the beads. His three other companions just sat and watched the crazy old lady in front of them, large eyes and all. After about five minuets of continuous cackling, Estelvoya jumped up, completely unfazed.
"Myyyy dearsss...how hasss the searrch for youurr brotheeer beeeen going?" She hissed in an non-threatening way, her classic accent making it harder to understand.
"Well we got an antidote from my friend Abigail. She's in the hospital, a victim of Don, her leg was smashed by a table and the bones like, completely shattered. Abby knows a lot about medical stuff since she wants to be a nurse, so she used iodine and other chemicals to perfect a Kraang antidote for her attacker." Casey explained as the woman stared him down from across the table, her eyes peeking over her crystal ball.
"Interessstinnggg..." Madame Estelvoya mused. "Do youuu neeed to find ouut where heee is?"
"That would be helpful." Grunted the red masked turtle.
"Well youuu boyyysss came to the right plaaacee!"
"Yes! We're gonna find Donnie!" Mikey cheered.
"And April!" Casey added with equal excitement.
"Let meee takeee a loook in myy crystal baall..." Estelvoya rose up, her long fingers encircling the ball.
With this, she began to chant mysterious songs and ancient sayings as the smoke inside of the ball swirled around and around. The foursome watched intently, only Michelangelo bouncing up and down in his seat out of excitement, and silently prayed that Donatello and April weren't far away or hard to reach. It all happened so fast. The great Madame Estelvoya let out the high pitched squeal of a final chant that was supposed to reveal the location of their loved ones in the belly of the magic ball, but instead of seeing Donnie or April, the group was met by a face-full of glass and a terrible smoky smell. An explosion of sorts blew them all backwards and when they were well enough to open their eyes to the overturned chairs and smoldering velvet tablecloth, the crystal ball was gone.
"What the shell just happened?!" Raphael coughed, sitting up and rubbing his temple.
"MY CRYYSTALLL BAAALL!" The psychic howled in pain as she rocketed up from the floor.
"It exploded?!" Casey said in disbelief, picking up the shards on the floor.
"HOW IS THIIISS EVEEEN POSSIBLEE?" Estelvoya threw herself upon the remains of her precious artifact, sobbing into the shards of glass that remained on the table. Suddenly, she popped up, a worried look in her eyes. "Thisss...is a SIGN!"
"A sign?" Leo inquired.
"A SIGN!" The woman shrieked, waving her arms. Leo drew back. "Youuu have to fiiind Donatellooo sooon!"
"Why? Is something gonna happen to him?" Michelangelo's eyes widened in panic.
"He grows more powerful..." The psychic's voice was low and normal. "Soon, he will KILL HIS CAPTIVEEE!"
"APRIL!" Casey cried.
"He has hurt her baaaad! It is onlyyy a matterr of timeeee!"
"So the ball exploding was a sign that we need to find Donnie and heal him fast?" Leonardo stood, relieved to see the antidote had survived the explosion.
"EXACTLYYY!" Estelvoya screamed, falling back onto the floor with a large thump.
"Madame your a genius!" The leader called. "I told you, Raph!"
"Whatever! We have to get out of here and find April and Donnie!" The hotheaded younger brother countered.
"Thanks for all your help, Madame Estelvoya! If we can, we'll get you a new crystal ball and you'll be back in business!" Michelangelo hollered as they ran out of her messy shop.
With a mission, a motive, a plan, and an antidote, the team of four boys made their way up to the rooftops and ran across the cityscape's skyline.
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"You...love me?" April breathed. She couldn't believe, even with all the crazy events, what she was hearing. Donnie was right, she was completely unprepared.
"With all my heart..." Donatello choked out uncomfortably, not exactly sure how she was reacting.
"Well then my beloved monster." April said, her voice extremely nervous, but slightly joking. "I guess we just a reiteration of Beauty and The Beast."
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AND SO DONATELLO PLEDGED HIS UNDYING LOVE TO APRIL AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER. I don't think so! There's still a lot to come, folks! I hope you all don't mind Estelvoya, she's kind of a nut, but I like her! I AM STILL ACCEPTING SONGS FOR THE MONSTER PLAYLIST! Thank you all so much for reading, but PLEASE LEAVE A REVEIW! Talk to you soon guys! ~PurpleKittyFangirl