1TMNT: Cherry Blossoms of Life
Ch.1~ A blast from the past
I raced across the rooftops, a grin on my face and a wild energy in my strides and leaps. Each step I took made my soul soar, this really was my time. I let a cheerful cry as I left to the next building, landing I raced to jump over the edge swinging off clotheslines as I landed down into a dark alley. Sneaking I peeked out onto the quieter city streets, as the nightlife of the city thrived.
Sneaking back into the alley I looked from a quick way back to the roofs, but I could see a shadowy mass making its way down to me. I pulled my sais from my belt and posed ready to fight. One dropped on me but I roundhouse kicked him into the dumpster. Another ran at me and I caught his sword in my sai and swept a foot under him dropping him before quickly punching him in the face.
Seems like Karai's lackeys need more training, chuckling a bit I quickly spun to clock the quietest one yet, that had been sneaking behind me. Looking around at the bodies surrounding me I couldn't help myself filling with pride. I went to chuckle again but one jumped onto me driving me into the concrete, groaning I felt another two land on top me, holding me down.
'Man, I wish I had brought Casey along, a bit of backup would be nice right around now.' I thought, I felt a prick on my upper arm.
With that I could feel something enter my shoulder numbing it, they all jumped off, as I jumped to my feet. Looking up I saw they were all gone, groaning I grabbed my fallen sais and headed for the lair. Need to get Don to take a look at this, have no idea what these punks did to me.
As I neared the lair my vision began to blur, and my body felt heavier. I found myself leaning heavily on walls for support till my legs finally gave out and I collapsed, I tried to get back up but the world around me began to spin. Fuck, I am never gonna hear the end of this one.
(Don's POV)
We all gather at the table as Mikey made breakfast humming a song happily, everyone was up except Raph. Typical, he always made it a habit, whenever he could, to stay out as late as possible. Sighing I turned to see Leo and Splinter leaving the dojo, Leo smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back.
"Raph still not awake?" He asked I shook my head.
"I shall go wake him up, he is starting to make a bad habit of sleeping the day away." Splinter said the clunk of his cane as he left slowly faded as Leo sat next to me.
"I'm making scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon!" Mikey cheered, at least the food would cheer up Raph's mood after being woken up.
"Sounds good Mikey." I hummed, I heard a door slam open followed by a gasp.
"My sons!" Splinter yelled, Leo and I ran up to Raph's room as Mikey tried to hurriedly plate our food.
As we reached the stairs, I could see that Raph's room was empty, Leo seemed frozen as I reached for my shell cell dialling his number. The phone rang as I began to pace in worry, Leo was calling Mikey to join us in searching as I got his answering machine. Sighing I began to use the built-in tracker to find Raph.
"Leo, calm down, remember he has his shell cell, I can track him, he might have just crashed at Casey's or something." I soothed, as we all met in the main area as I locked onto his location. "Come on follow me, he's not too far off, he probably is just heading home after crashing at Casey's."
We all followed the signal out of the lair and through the tunnels, he wasn't that far, but he didn't seem to be moving. Weird, Raph usually hauls tail if he is this late coming home. I heard Mikey squeal and Leo gasp, I looked at them and followed their gaze to the water. I saw the red mixed into the sewer water. I raced around the corner and followed the signal till I reached its source. I saw his phone laying on the ground and Raph laying sprawled in the tunnel.
He was much smaller, about the size of a six or seven-year-old and all his gear lay around him or loosely hanging off of his frame. But his whole body was covered in blood, luckily not enough to be deadly but certainly worrying. Instinctively I pulled him into my arms and began to examine him, his mask slipped off and onto the ground as he moaned in pain his face contorting into a grimace.
"We need to get him home, he's hurt, gather his stuff, there's no time to explain," I ordered, with that I took off down the tunnel leaving behind Leo and Mikey to gather his gear and phone.
Reaching home, I watched father look at me in shock as I brought Raph to my lab. Clearing off a table of notes in one clear sweep I laid him down. Going to my med kit I grabbed a clean rag and dosed it in disinfectant and began to clean him of the blood revealing all too familiar wounds. His face cringed, and he awoke with a scream, it was shrill, and his eyes filled with tears much like a child.
"It hurts!" he cried father went to his side touching his head soothingly.
"Hush my son, it's okay, you are home, you're safe Raphael." He hushed, he opened his eyes to look at father tears falling down his face.
"Daddy…" he muttered, I gently continued to clean his wounds, but the worst were over as he gritted and bared his teeth the pain.
"Raph, can you sit up, so I check the rest of you?" I asked he looked to me his eyes widening in shock.
Sitting up with some effort, he reached toward me clearly confused, once he touched me comparing his hand to my face. Pulling away he looked at father than around the lair, he looked very lost. Finally, he turned to the commotion and the front door that Leo and Mikey just arrived through. He reached out to them and let out a small sob.
"Weo! Mikey!" he cried, Leo looked at him in shock as Mikey looked on confused as Raph was.
"My son, it's alright, tell me what's the last thing you remember?" Father asked he turned to father.
"I was.. fighting.. some foot ninja's.. and they put something into my arm…" he explained, he looked at his arms covered in familiar wounds. "But, it feews like I… but it's been ten years… right?"
"Whatever happened Raph, we'll find a way to fix you, it'll be okay, now let's get you bandaged up," I stated, he turned to me a look of horror on his face.
"They're really there again, but I don't understand…" he muttered, I reached for some gauze and began to wrap up his wounds. "Am I really a wittle twerp again!"
"Raph, it'll be okay, just calm down and breathe." I hushed as I finished bandaging his arms up and began on his other arm.
"Raph, don't worry we will find a way to get you back to normal." Leo hushed, he looked at Leo emotionally confused, his two personalities from back then and now must be struggling for power.
"I, you… Fuck off fearwess! I.. I… Ugh stupid, kid me, we're seventeen, stop being so scared…" he hissed, I motioned Mikey who led Leo out as I finished bandaging his arms and looked at his legs grabbing more gauze.
"Remember your exercises, my son." Splinter reminded, Raph retreated into himself and began to steady his breathing I continued to wrap up his wounds.
"It's okay, we're okay, no need to worry." He muttered I remember Splinter teaching him these methods after he returned all those years ago.
"Come on let's try this, can you tell me the date, and your age and where you are?" Splinter asked Raph seemed to be in thought as I moved to his other leg.
"It's umm. September tenth, two thousand and seven, I'm seventeen and I'm at the wair, the new one." He answered he seemed to be getting a hold of everything and he was visibly calming down.
"Very good Raphael, now tell me what you are feeling?" father continued.
"Scared, and confused, everything feews so wrong, this change, it's bothering me, it brings up too many memories," Raph explained, he looked to me as I finished bandaging. "Thank you.. this feews a wot better…" he continued, his voice reminded me of our younger years along with his demeanour.
"No problem, umm, Mikey made some breakfast, you must be hungry?" I offered, he nodded and looked over the edge of the table warily.
"Might need hewp down…" he muttered embarrassed, I nodded and picked him up, setting him on his feet waiting a minute for him to get his bearings. "I'm okay now, just a bit weird."
"Alright, let's go then," I said, he nodded and followed me and father staying closer to father than me. Using him for balance when he felt weak trying his best to hide that from me.
Mikey was microwaving our food humming as Leo sat at the table looking at us sadly. Raph met his gaze and hide behind father, clearly unsure how to react around Leo in his new form. Father patted his head and lead him to Mikey where they grabbed the first two plates. Raph went to the table setting his plate down and crawling into the chair sitting on his knees as father grabbed Raph and himself utensils.
"Thanks for the food Mikey," Raph said, before quickly digging in not trying to look at anyone.
"No prob Raphie-boy, here Don, and Leo," Mikey replied, humming again like he had been earlier which seemed to ease some of the tension.
"Thanks," Leo said and grabbed our plates, I smiled to Mikey who nodded and continued his humming as Raph ate in almost complete silence.
"Here you are my son, some milk," Father said, placing a glass of milk before Raph who smile.
"Thanks, Daddy!" he chimed before chugging half the glass before going back to his breakfast.
He seemed like he was stuck in time, his body language was much more guarded just like ten years ago. He was a lot less twitchy and paranoid but still as reserved. I remember him always sitting out on games and watching us from afar most of the time after he returned. It wasn't until we were around ten or eleven he became the person he was at our current age. But I never really knew what caused the change, all I know is that afterwards his good relationship with Leo disappeared leaving mostly anger behind.
"Hehehe wow you ate fast Raphie." Mikey chimed Raph smiled at him nodding.
"Aww done, umm… Don, I can't reach the sink?" he stated I stood up and grabbed his plate and glass setting them in the sink. "Thank you, sorry…"
"No need to apologize" I soothed, he turned to Leo with big amber eyes.
"Sorry Weo, I should have wistened to you." He apologized, Leo looked at him in shock before reaching over to pat his head.
"It's alright, none of this is your fault, just be more careful from now on." Leo soothed, I could tell how happy he was that Raph was speaking to him.
"I promise, so what are we going to do?" he asked, we all looked at each other like someone had the answer.
"Well if the Foot did this, then it must be a plan by Karai, but why would she do this, we don't even know if this was intentional. It could have been meant to be a poison, but it just reacted differently with our mutagen filled DNA." I mused, Mikey and Leo nodded.
"Or maybe this was her plan, she does seem to have an odd moral code, maybe she believes in turning us into children will keep her from having to kill us," Leo added grimly.
"Wait, if she turns you guys into kids too that means.. that I'ww never be back to my old self." Raph whimpered, he stood up on his chair his eyes turning that familiar harshness. "Stupid bitch, I'ww show her what a kid can do if she traps me in this form."
"Raphael language." Father chided as Raph sighed.
"Sorry, it's just, I refuse to be stuck wike this, I'm awmost an aduwt I'm not going back to this age," Raph growled as Mikey went over and patted his head.
"Don't be so mellow-dramatic Raphie, Don will be able to fix you." Mikey soothed I frowned at the burden before me.
"I will try my best, but with our mutations… I'll need to talk with Leatherhead, together we should be able to come up with a solution." I muttered Raph looked at me sadly.
"Don't get too stressed, I can handle this body for as wong as I need to." He soothed I smiled at his comforting lie.
"Guys!" April called, Raph froze and instantly hide under the table as April and Casey burst into the lair.
"April what's going on?" Leo called racing to meet them, so they wouldn't see Raph.
"It's the foot, Karai sent us a message, told us that she was demanding you guys leave the city to tend Raph. What did she mean!? Is Raphael okay!?" April rambled, Casey was gripping his bat angrily.
"Yeah, if anyone's hurt my best bud then they're going to face my wrath!" Casey hissed.
Raph peeked out from under the table grabbing onto my ankle, I knelt down as he tugged on my ankle. He looked to April and Casey from his hiding spot, once he recognized them he pointed for me to lean down. I did, and he leaned his face up to the side of my head.
"They're pretty worried, I think we'ww have to teww them. We can't hide it anymore, not when I'm wike this." He whispered, I nodded and picked him up as Leo tried to calm them down. "I'm fine guys."
April and Casey looked at him in shock and Leo looked at Raph in shock too who was clearly putting on a brave his face as he held onto me. His small frame was trying it's hardest not to shake visibly or simply break down. Casey walked up to us in confusion, which made Raph pulled back which made Casey stop and April look on in shock.
"Please just don't come too cwose… I'm sorry… Aww of this is kind of a big story…" he stated, April went to Casey side looking at Raph full of pity.
"What happened?" April pleaded Leo, looked to us for confirmation to which Raph nodded.
"We have something to tell you both…" Leo stated this was going to be a long day.
