Okay here is the start of my chapters! Please let me know what you guys think! I appreciate it and it just makes me feel good! :D Updates will be pretty regular about every week or so. :D Enjoy! P.S. It is told in Japanese lore that the Turtle help create the world for it's body represents it. The shell is Heaven, the body is Earth and the Plastron is the underworld. Cool huh? :D
Leo stared at the giant rat as it placed a jade cane in front of it and placed a paper lantern on the ground lighting up the area around them. "I am sure you have many questions, but first I would like to know your names." It said calmly.
They were all silent for a few seconds before Mikey spoke up, "I'm Michelangelo, but you can call me Mikey!" He said happily.
"My name is Donatello." Donnie said somewhat shyly.
"I'm Leonardo." Leo said and the rat, Splinter, nodded to him before everyone looked over to Raph.
Raph glared at him for a second before crossing his arms, "Raphael." He said simply.
Splinter bowed to them slightly, "It is an honor to meet you four at last."
"At last?" Leo said catching on to what he said. "What do you mean?"
"Come let us sit. The story is a long one." Splinter said gesturing to the soft ground of the little island. They all sat down tentatively as Splinter sat as well placing his cane to the side. "I have been waiting for the four of you for some time now as was prophesized about the Great Mutation."
"The what?" Donnie asked thoroughly confused as were they all.
"Perhaps it would be best to begin at the beginning." Splinter said with a slight smile. "Long ago in 300 A.D. on the island of Japan a great demon arose terrorizing the people and destroying everything in its path. The demon called itself The Shredder. Its powers of darkness were so great that no one could stop it. The Emperor called the most skilled fighter in all of Japan to his side and asked him to defeat the demon Shredder. The man agreed and fought the demon. However he quickly lost. The man was a skilled fighter, but the demon attacked not only on the physical plane, but on the spiritual plane as well. But the man refused to give up. He knew that if he failed the entire world would fall and billions of innocent lives would be lost for nothing."
"Nearby in a small pool was a lowly kame, a turtle. He saw the battle and how the warrior was faring and knew he would not win alone. When the demon Shredder struck the warrior, he was sent to the turtle's pool. 'Warrior.' The turtle said, 'You cannot win this battle alone.' 'What am I to do?' The warrior replied. 'I cannot give in and let this evil destroy the world and the innocents within it.' 'Then do not allow it.' The turtle replied, 'I have seen the sun and moon rise and fall many times over my life and I know many things. I know that there cannot be light without the darkness, but I also know there cannot be darkness without light. If this demon succeeds he will bring only darkness and the world needs light. I helped create this world I will not allow it to fall.' 'What do you wish of me?' The warrior asked. 'Allow me to help you defeat this demon.' The turtle answered. 'I will show you how to fight him on the spiritual level as well as the physical.'"
"The warrior nodded and allowed the turtle to join him in spirit and body. Together they were able to defeat the demon Shredder and save the world. However the turtle gave the warrior a terrifying vision of the future. The warrior saw that the demon Shredder would rise once more, but the turtle granted him some hope. In another vision he saw the Great Mutation. The day when a chosen few that would save the world once more, would meet and accept the task that had been laid out for them. So the warrior passed down the knowledge that the turtle had granted him in the hopes that when the day came for the demon Shredder to rise again he would be defeated once and for all."
They were all silent for a while before Mikey spoke, "Dude! That was awesome! You are a way boss story teller, man!"
Splinter smiled at him, "Thank you Michelangelo."
"That was a good story, but that still doesn't explain why we're now turtles as well." Donnie said getting Leo to nod.
"You four have been chosen." Splinter answered, "The evil is rising once more."
"What?!" They all cried.
Raph then glared at Splinter, "Hold on a sec." He snapped, "You expect us ta believe dat some ancient evil is comin' back an' we're da ones dat gotta stop it?!"
"Yes." Splinter said simply, nodding. Not thrown off by Raph's abrasiveness.
Raph glared at him, "An' how da heck we suppose' ta do dat!? Wiggle our now non-existent pinkies!?"
"Perhaps it would be best to simply show you." Splinter said before standing. They all joined him when suddenly Splinter started attacking Raph! Leo was about ready to jump in to help him, but stopped when he saw Raph was holding his own. Splinter was throwing punches and jabs his way, but Raph was blocking each one. Then all at once Raph's fist shot out and Splinter caught it ending the fight.
Leo looked at Splinter who was smirking and at Raph who was totally and completely confused. "How… what… I…" Raph stuttered not understanding what was happening as Splinter let him go and took a step back.
"Dude!" Mikey cried looking at Raph with shinning admiration in his eyes, "How did you do that!? It was awesome!"
Raph looked over at him still in shock before looking at Splinter, "I don't know. I've no idea where dat came from."
"The abilities given to you in this form are more than just strength. You have the abilities of the ancients. Your ancestors, the warrior and the turtle channeling through you. The ancient ways of Bushido. The ways of Ninjutsu." Leo's eyes widened. That was so cool! "I too am part of the Great Mutation." Splinter went on, "All was revealed to me. The events of the past and the future and I was chosen as your guardian and sensei. Your teacher on the matter and to prepare you for the coming battle."
"I still don't understand how we were mutated." Donnie said again drawing the focus.
"Here at this pool is where I was given the knowledge. This place is called the Chishiki no Pūru. The Pool of Knowledge and this is the Nenrei No Ki. The Tree of Ages." They all looked at the little island they were standing on and Leo felt something in him stir. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Mikey and Donnie shudder while Raph randomly scowled and crossed his arms. Was everyone else feeling something too? "This place is ancient and has traveled the world to find you here. For you see the place where the brave turtle gave his life was here at this very pool."
Leo's eyes widened in shock and again he looked around at the tree and the pool surrounding them. If this was true it was amazing! But that was impossible, right?
"Wait a minute." Donnie said, "Trees and pools can't just get up and walk wherever they'd like. That's impossible."
"It is not." Splinter argued shaking his head once, "The ancients knew that one day you all would have need of this place and so they allowed it to come to you."
"Allowed it to come to us?" Donnie echoed, "You mean like its sentient… alive?" He asked skeptically.
Splinter smirked, "Everything is alive, Donatello. Even the rock at which the ocean beats against."
"Okay…" Donnie said looking towards Leo, clearly not understanding.
"I have a question." Mikey said raising his hand, "Are we going to be turtles forever 'cause I'm totally cool with that, but it makes getting a costume for this new super hero status kind of hard."
"Forget da costume. How de heck are we suppose' ta do anythin'?" Raph asked crossing his arms. "We'll be the new freaks in town!"
"You are able to change back into your human forms." Splinter answered, "You simply need to concentrate and focus your energy. Your Chi energy to the center of your being and you will be able to revert back."
"You can't be serious?" Raph said looking at Splinter like he was crazy.
"I am very serious, Raphael." Splinter answered somewhat sternly. "If you wish to change back you must focus."
Leo closed his eyes and thought he'd give it a shot. He tried to do what the rat was telling him to do. 'Focus.' He thought, 'Focus on breathing. Focus on being human again.' Then Leo felt something in the center of him and at once he knew it was his core. He felt it pulse and focused on that feeling as he tried to channel it through him. He felt it encompass him and he felt something change. Then it was gone and Leo slowly opened his eyes to see everyone staring at him with slack jaws. Splinter was smiling at him.
"Well done Leonardo." He said with praise.
"Dude!" Mikey cried making him look over at him, "You were glowing blue slashes all over your body! It was wicked!"
Leo stared at him, "I was?" He questioned.
Mikey nodded enthusiastically. "And that's not all." Donnie added, "You're human again."
"What?!" Leo cried before looking at himself. He indeed saw five fingers, white skin, and he didn't feel his shell anymore. Leo looked to Splinter for an explanation.
Splinter smiled at him, "What you call the 'glowing blue slashes' Michelangelo, is actually Leonardo's Chi energy manifesting itself physically."
"Huh?" Mikey asked confused.
"He means you can see it." Donnie clarified.
"Ooooh." Mikey said before smiling, "My turn!" He then closed his eyes tightly and for a few seconds nothing happened, but then Mikey started to glow orange swirls all over his body! He then began to change back into a human. When his change was complete he opened his eyes slowly then looked down at his hands and gave a cheer. "Boom baby!"
Splinter smiled at him, "Well done Michelangelo."
"Did I glow too?!" He asked excitedly.
Leo smiled at him and nodded, "Yep. Orange swirls."
"Sweet." Mikey smiled.
"I'll give it a shot." Donnie said, "After all science is all about testing hypotheses." Donnie then closed his eyes and just like Mikey a few seconds in, he started to glow too. Only Donnie was glowing purple stripes all over his body.
When he came out of it he looked at his body and smiled a gap tooth grin, "Fascinating."
"Well done Donatello." Splinter said smiling at him as well.
"Donnie dude, you were glowing purple stripes!" Mikey shared.
"Thanks Mikey." Donnie said indulging him and Mikey nodded. They all then looked over to Raph.
He glared at them, "What?!" He snapped.
Leo smirked ever so slightly, "You want to be human again you have to try it."
Raph glowered at him, but said nothing as he closed his eyes. The hot head took a little longer, but eventually he too began to glow red flames all over his body and when he stopped he too was human.
Raph looked at his hand and himself before a ghost of a smile appeared on his face and he looked towards Splinter who nodded and smiled at him, "Well done Raphael."
"Bro, yours was like red flames." Mikey supplied and Raph nodded probably thinking it was cool.
"You all have done very well, but I must warn you that while you still have very little control over your Chi energy, you will revert back into your turtle forms if you allow your emotions to control you." Splinter said drawing them back. "However I will teach you to control your Chi energy and over time you will be able to change forms with but a thought. That is one of the many things I will teach you."
"What if we don't wanna?" Raph said asking the question they all wanted to know. "What if we jus' want are lives back?"
Splinter paused for a long moment and the silence stretched on before he took a deep breath and looked back at them. "You four have been chosen. Chosen by the ancients to protect and save the world from an evil that has been lying in wait for 2 millennia. However, you always have a choice. You may choose to continue to live your lives as you see fit or choose to follow the prophecy. Whichever you decide it is your decision to make and yours alone. But know this, every choice you make has a consequence. And if you choose to ignore this calling, will you be able to live with the consequences of it?"
Leo stared at the rat in slight amazement. He knew this was serious, but he didn't really understand till now. He didn't want to world to end, but he really just wanted to live his own life. Right now Leo had no idea what to choose and looking around neither did the others.
Splinter then stood and looked over at something then back at them, "It is now 4:00 P.M. Go home and think about what I have said. Come back here tomorrow at this time with your decision." With that Splinter turned and left them disappearing into the dark.