Chapter 4: Advice

April sighed. She had just finished her homework: a three page essay on Dante's Hell. Moving her books to the side, she pulled out her laptop. Her lips pulled down into a frown when her email showed up empty. She had sent some intel to Donnie about the Kraang earlier that day. Intel she hoped would give them information on her dad. He had been missing for over a week now.

April glanced out her window at the night sky. 'Speaking of family…' She stood up, walking out of her room. Her aunt, Kate O'Neil, was humming in the kitchen, her hips swaying to her mental melody. "Aunt Kate?" The woman jumped, turning to face her niece.

"Oh! Hello, darling! What is it?" April looked around.

"Uh… have you seen Fallyn?" Kate shifted her weight, tapping her chin.

"I believe she said something about training on the roof." April nodded.

"Thanks Aunt Kate!" April started to head up the stairs, only to turn back around. "Do you need any help?" Kate chuckled.

"No, thank you dear. Fallyn already helped today while you were at school. It's just baking now."

"Okay. See you later." Climbing the stairs, April continued to the roof. Pulling herself over the edge, she sighed in content, sitting down.

Fallyn was kneeling in the middle of the roof, her eyes closed. She was wearing a traditional samurai training hakama. Her breasts rose and fell in a steady rhythm under her white long-sleeve shirt. Her hands rested on her black-clothed knees. An unsheathed sword was at her feet, its sheath strapped to her side by her obi. Well, technically the blade was at her knees, but the same idea. What unnerved April was the length of the blade, a good five foot long, six if she counted the handle.

Suddenly, Fallyn's eyes flew open. Grabbing the sword, she leapt up on guard, the sword pointed forward. Spinning, the weapon sliced through the air, creating a whooshing sound. Fallyn continued through the form, slicing, jabbing, and blocking her invisible opponents.

From what April could tell, it would normally be a complex form, complete with flips, one-handed handsprings, aerial cartwheels, and other impressive dodges. However, Fallyn made it look easy, not even breaking a sweat. The whitette finished, facing the same way she started. Straightening, Fallyn flourished the sword, sheathing it in the scabbard at her side.

"Like what you saw, April?" The redhead nodded.

"That was so cool, sis! Leo would be jealous." Fallyn chuckled, walking over to her sister. April noticed her feet were bare.

"Probably. It was actually a katana form, but I altered it." April stood, brushing off the back of her pants.

"Speaking of which, what kind of sword is that? I've never seen it before." Fallyn rested a hand on the hilt.

"It's an odachi. I actually have two of them, but, since the form only required one blade, I didn't need to bring the twin out." The elder girl jumped down, landing silently on the metal scaffolding.

"Wow. Not even the guys were silent landing on that thing." April followed her sister's lead, landing in Fallyn's waiting arms. She set the younger girl on her feet.

"True, but keep in mind they haven't trained on these like I have." Fallyn stepped inside the apartment building.

"Right." April looked out into the night. "Speaking of them, I hope they're okay. I haven't heard from them all day." Fallyn looked back at her.

"You sent Don that intel, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then don't worry about it. They'll be fine." April sighed.

"Yeah… I guess you're right." She flinched when Fallyn cleared her throat. "Okay, okay! You are right. Happy?"

"Eh… no. But I'll let it slide this one time." Fallyn glanced over her shoulder. "By the way, Aunt Kate made pot roast tonight, and I made some challa bread. Just thought you would like to know." April's mouth began watering at the thought of her Aunt's award winning roast and her sister's bread that literally made boys fall at her feet. Well, at least more than normal; she already had quite the fan-base simply because of her appearance.

"Sweet!" Fallyn chuckled as she walked to her room.

'Alright. I'll take a quick shower, have dinner, meditate for a while, read a couple chapters of The Hobbit, and then maybe I'll go out and beat up some Purple Dragons.'

複

A knock startled Fallyn. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw a shadow outside her window. She realized one of the turtles was sitting on the fire escape. Setting her book down, she walked over to the window, opening it.

Her surprise turned into shock when the turtle turned out to be none other than Raphael. "Raph?" Fallyn stuck her head out further. "Where are the others?" Raph shifted uncomfortably, only furthering Fallyn's shock.

"Can… um… can we talk? Somewhere else?" His eyes flickered from hers to the roof. Fallyn nodded, climbing out onto the metal, shivering slightly when the night breeze blew through her cotton T-shirt and pajama pants. She covered it up though, raising her body temperature slightly to ward off the chill. Raph smiled softly at her. "Thanks."

He jumped up onto the roof, turning to offer her a hand. "No thanks." Springing off the metal, she grabbed the roof's edge, swinging up and over his head. Raph watched, spellbound, as her loose hair flew out behind her, coming down in waves when she landed. It settled below her hips, the night breeze blowing it slightly to the right.

'She's… beautiful. AH! No! Don't think like that!' He quickly snapped out of his trance, covering it up with a mock scowl. "Show off." Fallyn snickered.

"Jealous?" Raph snorted.

"As if." They stood there for a few moments.

"So… what did you want to talk about?" Raph sighed, dropping onto the roof. He crossed his legs, his eyes downcast. Fallyn copied his movement, tilting her head slightly. "Something went wrong tonight." He blinked in surprise at her statement.

"How-" The girl shrugged.

"I'm pretty good at reading people." She shifted into a more comfortable position, resting her left hip on the roof, her legs out to the side. "Now what happened?" Raph swallowed uncomfortably.

"Well… I kind of… lost my temper. And it… got me into trouble." He glanced sharply at her when her giggles reached his ears. "What?" Her eyes met his, amusement brimming in her golden pools.

"I figured that much out on my own." Raph gaped at her. "I meant why did you lose your temper?" Sighing, he told her the whole story, all the while questioning himself.

'Why did I come here? Why am I telling her all of this?' As he continued to talk, he watched Fallyn, gauging her reactions. She kept her face stoic, but she was attentive nonetheless. She didn't offer advice, or interrupt him. She just… listened.

'Maybe that's why. Maybe… all I needed… was someone to talk to. Someone who would listen to me.'

Fallyn mentally smirked. 'He doesn't realize he's voicing his thoughts. Well… I won't let him know then. He would probably get really embarrassed.' When he stopped talking, she nodded. "I see. Did you talk to your sensei about this?"

"Yeah. He said I should-" Raphael blinked a couple times. "Wait. How did you-"

"Please. You're… what… eighteen?"

"Yeah. What's your point?"

"You would have to have someone raise you, and, from your reactions when you fought the Kraang, it sure as heck wasn't them." She openly smirked at his dumbfounded expression. "Besides the fact that your Ninjitsu skills are far more proficient than they would be if they were self-taught. I should know."

Raph shook his head. "What are you? Psychic?!" Fallyn chuckled.

"I told you… I'm pretty good at reading people. I don't need to be psychic for that." Fallyn reached out to cover one of Raph's hands with one of her own. He was amazed at how warm her small, pale hand was.

'I wonder if the rest of her is this warm. GAH! Why do I keep thinking like that?! Stop it, Raph!'

"Now… what did your sensei tell you?" Raphael blinked a couple times before realizing Fallyn was still talking.

"He said I should let insults wash over me like a river over stone. But… I don't know what that means." Fallyn nodded.

"Ishi wa kawa ni taishite fudōdearu. Bujoku ni taishite onaji sōsa o okonaimasu.1" Raph looked at Fallyn in shock.

'She… knows Japanese?' Before he could get the chance to ask, Fallyn continued talking.

"It means you should ignore the insults. You should let them pass you by as if they were nothing more than air. Don't turn other people's words into weapons." Raph groaned.

"Great. Now I have three Splinters telling me what to do." Fallyn quirked an eyebrow.

"Three?" Raph flinched, before sighing in defeat.

"Splinter is my sensei's name. I call Leo Splinter Jr. because he's always following the rules."

"And I'm Splinter Three?" Raph nodded sheepishly.

"Sorry."

"I don't mind. It's better than some things I've been called." Fallyn smirked mischievously. "Though I think I would like it better if I met the person I was being compared too." Raph chuckled.

"Don't think I can't tell what you're doing. Sorry." Fallyn huffed in mock defeat, crossing her arms under her chest. Raph noticed her pajama top was a low-cut, light pink short sleeve, granting him a nice view of ample pale cleavage. He sincerely hoped he wasn't blushing.

"Kill joy." She looked away for a few moments. Glancing back at the turtle, her demeanor softened as she turned back to him. "So… you get what he was trying to tell you now?" Raphael nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks Fallyn." She smiled at him.

"Anytime, Raph. If you ever want to talk to someone, you know where to find me." The red-masked ninja nodded again.

"Sure thing." He jumped off the roof, making his way across the buildings. Fallyn watched him go as she made her way down the fire escape to her room.

"Take care of yourself, hothead. Take care of your brothers too."

複

Fallyn moaned, shifting under her sheets. The knocks at her window wouldn't stop. Huffing, the girl dragged herself out of bed. Rubbing her eyes, she opened her window. Sticking her head out, Fallyn quirked an eyebrow when she didn't see anyone. Her nose twitched as she sniffed the air. Catching a sweet scent, she looked down. Her eyes widened in surprise.

A beautiful red rose was sitting in a white vase on the grate. A piece of paper was tied to the stem. The girl picked the vase up. Tilting her head slightly, Fallyn smiled at the note.

"Arigatō.2 Raph." Fallyn hummed softly. Gently cupping the flower, she breathed in its scent, her smile growing slightly. She looked up, trying to catch a glimpse of the turtle. She was slightly disappointed when she didn't.

'That's alright. I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other soon.' Taking one last glance around, Fallyn closed her window.

From his perch a few buildings over, Raphael smiled. He was glad she liked the rose. Still smiling, he disappeared into the sewers, making his way home.

Fallyn's Revealed Powers: Telekinesis, Invisibility, Enhanced Hearing and Smell.

Translations:
 1) "The stone is steadfast against the river. Do the same against insults." Look it up to hear pronunciation. (石は川に対して不動である。侮辱に対して同じ操作を行います。) It might come out a little different if you translate it. There are many ways to say the same thing in Japanese.
2) Japanese for "Thanks." ( ありがと )

So Fallyn doesn't go to school. She is seventeen, so she should still be in high school, right? Hm… wonder why she isn't? *Snickers* Kidding! I already know. You're just going to have to keep reading to find out.

Aaaaaaawwwwwww. Raphie has a soft side. Kawai! Okay, fangirl rant over. Don't forget to review!

Episode: Turtle Temper