//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Trees and Tiger Tails // Story: The Knights of Luna: Turtle Power // by Swift Heart //------------------------------// This Chapter is unbeta read, still looking for a beta reader. Chapter 5: Trees and Tiger Tails Donnie was in deep thought after Master Splinter spoke, “I will admit…I hadn’t put much thought to previous messages concerning this ‘tree of harmony’ it’s been brought up in several Krang conversation but I never could get much information on it…” he rubbed his chin contemplating his next words, “Then again they call it a tree of harmony not something that sounds very krang-ish dangerous….or even mildly threatening for that matter” “But it obviously means something to the Equins…otherwise they wouldn’t have even cared…um right?” Leonardo said scratching the back of his head not entirely sure if he was even on the right track. Mikey twitched “Dudes who cares the reason we gotta go save Swifty! And those other two girls…” He muttered as his older brothers glared at him. He blinked “What…” Mikey cocked his head to the side as he envisioned himself saving Swift Heart all daring and cool looking… Slapping the younger turtle’s head “Knock it off Mikey your starting to turn into a even worse version of Donnie” Raphael said sweating from embarrassment, “Your probably picturing sweeping her up in your arms after busting up some krang droids” he smirked cockily knowing that was the very picture his little brother imagined. Mikey’s thought bubble with that exact picture suddenly popped, “No! Totally not!” He pouted and looked away blushing. Leonardo sighed “Can we focus? If they really went after the Krang we need to get to them before they get hurt or worse!” he shouted glaring at them all “Master Splinter is going to inform Princess Luna of the situation while we need to get our act together and search for those girl!” With those final words the turtles ran out the lair…. A few moments later April walked in “Hey…your…not here..” She blinked and looked around “Where is everyone?” She scratched her head before taking a seat on the sofa. The red head had been doing some thinking lately, those thoughts mostly focused on why she was so shaken by the younger girl’s proclamation of her feels for Donnie…April closed her eyes “Where did you go Donnie?” She asked sighing softly. Normally when she came into the lair Donnie would come running up to her smiling that adorable gap tooth showing proudly….he’d greet her, start talking about whatever it was he was doing…and she’d listen…enraptured by his intelligent mind…she once more opened her eyes and looked away. He was a turtle…a different species…not human…sure she wasn’t entirely human either; however, she was able to blend into society! Winching at her own thoughts she wondered when she became so shallow? Donnie was about a thousand times better then most human boys anyway. He was kind, generous, sweet, smart, cute, and gentle. “I need to stop thinking about this…” she shook her head and went to the dojo to wait for Master Splinter… xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTMNT/MLPxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Two figures raced through the shadows that were squandered by the sun’s light, it was a risk to leave during the day; however, if it really was the tree of Harmony…they needed to take the risk. The only one that was really safe was the one that was able to cloud walk. Swift Heart had ducked into a puffy white cloud and was taking the direct root towards their destination. She was gently flapping her wings and moving the cloud towards the warehouse… there was a small part of her wondering if this was a good idea, they were practically walking into a dangerous situation with unknown factors… Mona dug her claws into the side of the building and began climbing the walls with ease, the weight of her war hammer seemed to have doubled today. Perhaps it knew the burden it would be taking on today? They were heading into enemy territory, if this Krang really had the Tree of Harmony…they were the enemy…an unknown enemy…she growled as she continued crawling to the top of the building and running across the roof and back down the other side always sticking to the shadows. “Is this the right thing to do? Going off without telling Princess Luna?” Dinky was having second thoughts about this, she telliported three roof tops away from Mona and Swifty. The bright sun warming her head, how long had it been since she had seen the real sun like this? Dinky was worried, what if Mona or Swifty got hurt? What if she failed as a captain? She never lead them into battle before today. A shiver ran through her as images of various failures invaded her mind…She looked towards the furthest roof as her horn lit up and flashed transporting her to that roof. Dinky glanced back, “Maybe we should turn around? No…the girls would never forgive me…I’d never forgive myself…” She said hoping this decision wasn’t a big mistake. The unicorn felt her heart pounding so hard she feared it would fly from her chest, this was fear that clutched unto her. She looked up and saw Swifty glancing down at her from the tiny cloud the pegasus had latched unto, “Swifty…” She murmured frowning softly as a clawed hand rested unto her shoulder. Looking up Dinky saw Mona’s worried look “Mona…” she looked away and took a deep breath “I’m leading you both into a possible fight…our very first battle. For years we’ve trained as individuals and as a team…let’s put all our efforts to good use! If this Krang fellow does have the Tree of Harmony it’s our duty to get it back!” She said holding up a fist to her chest and taking a dramatic stance as the wind began blowing. “Swift Heart I don’t need a dramatic wind blow” Dinky said plainly Swifty blinked and blushed as she stopped flapping her wings “Sorry it just looked like a good moment for a dramatic wind” She looked away. Scratching the back of her head she guided the cloud she was sitting on towards the roof, “I’m not frightened…I’ve already accepted the possibility of a fight, I refuse to run away…” With a nod Dinky once more turned towards their destination “Let go then…it’ll be night fall soon” xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTMNT/MLPxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx The sun was beginning to set, the turtles were rushing as fast as they could towards the docks by the Hudson River, they knew the girls had a rather hefty head start but they still could only hope to reach them in time. Mikey seemed rather tense tonight, he knew how bad the krang could be. Memories of last year failed invasion popped into his mind, almost losing Leo…now Swift Heart and her sisters were putting themselves in that same danger…it didn’t matter the reason why…only that they could get seriously thrashed…if they were lucky. Raphael wasn’t sure what to think, a part of him actually cared about what happened to these girls…Mona wasn’t too bad…neither was Swifty….Dinky was a good person…a bit too much like Leo sometimes…but then their was Fluttershy…she was very fond of the three teen girls. If something happened to them Fluttershy would be upset… “Guys no matter what we have to protect those girls even if their being stupid Raph” Leo said shooting the red banded turtle a look before he could make a rude comment “More then likely they went in without a plan, so the key to getting them out is…well using a plan” He explained somewhat awkwardly. Donnie rolled his eyes “Brillant deduction Leo, so pray tell what might this plan be?” He said sarcastically with a sigh. Really what were those girls thinking? Then again they never really talked about the real dangers in this city…they knew nothing about the foot or the Krang….maybe this was somewhat their fault for leaving them ignorant about this situation. The teens skidded to a halt upon reaching the last building nearest to the Hudson Bay docks. They scanned the area each making their own observation of the terrain. A line of warehouses were situated along the river’s boarder next to a long wooden dock, the moon was high and the sky filled with clouds and the air itself was sour with the pollution of the Hudson River. “Donnie can you track their cell phones? We need their location now” Leonardo said looking ready to pull his katanas from their sheaths and charge in. This situation felt similar to Timmy’s…or rather mutagen man’s situation…rushing head first into something he had no real clue about…trying far too hard to be a hero…these girls were their friends, they were far to inexperienced! What if they came into contact with mutagen!? His eyes narrowed as he thought silently to himself “I won’t let that happen…” “Got the location” Donatello said holding up his shell cell with a smirk, “Their not too far from here I think about a quarter mile away over in the fourth warehouse” He said confidently. With a nod Leo took off with his brothers following behind… xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTMNT/MLPxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Swift Heart gasped for air, they had managed to find their way into the secret base hidden under the warehouse and for the first few areas they had snuck into went without a hitch. However like murphy’s law something always goes wrong, Mona had tripped an alarm with her tail by accident and now they were in a rather tight spot. Sweat drenched fur and adrenaline pumping through her was making the magenta filly dizzy. She never expected fighting, real fighting, to be this tough! Standing on her hooves her shield at the ready, her sword posed for attack. What matter of creatures were these things?! Brains things inside robotic androids…Swifty didn’t know what to make of this situation. Striking at the next droid to come near her and basing her shield into the one that followed she let her eyes quickly scan the area before mentally making several calculations as she flung the shield, hurling it into the wall and watching it ricochet off the wall, the shield hit serval droids bouncing off each one of them. Swifty caught the shield as it ricocheted back to her after following the path she calculated…. Swing her war hammer Mona was smashing her way through the hoard of brainy creature things in metal containers, not only were they gross…they were ugly gross! Mona swung her hammer around hitting both Dinky and Swifty in the process, Mona gasped in shock “S…sorry girls!” She yelped as the pegasus gave her a glare of disapproval. She had no clue what to do! Why wasn’t Dinky giving orders!? Dinky was breathing hard, she could taste her own tears as they poured down her face. She had let her sister down…she couldn’t think straight! She couldn’t make orders to get them out of there or even move forward towards the Tree of Harmony…She wildly swung her trident about, Dinky couldn’t even concentrate long enough to form a spell! Her shield spell was useless! She was useless! She closed her eyes for only a moment, the leaser weapons the krang had fired at her….the trident was knocked from her hands and something behind her hit the back of Dinky’s head knocking her to the ground “Ah!” She held up her arms to defend herself… A clang was herd above her and a three fingered hand gripped her upper arm pulling her to her hooves and face to beak with Leonardo…a rather angry Leonardo… “We are going to talk later” Leo said sternly looking away from her “Mona, Raph you two on point charge in and clear a path to that door! Donnie, Swifty you figure how to open said door! Mikey, Dinky, and I will guard you!” He shouted his orders. To Dinky it was as if she was watching a powerful unicorn perform a high ranking spell…Mona and Raph did indeed clear the way their combined strength knocked out the krang droids in their way and Swifty and Donnie set to work getting the door opened…Mikey was fighting off the droids that were still coming at them and Dinky after retrieving her weapon found herself following Leo’s orders… “Donatello I’ve accessed the doors perimeters and hacked into the central matrix core on the main console!” Swift Heart shouted and began quickly typing on the access keys. Donatello nodded “Good! I’ve almost deactivated the security weapons on the other side! Whatever is in there they want it kept safe!” He shouted over the firing. Folding her ears back Swifty spoke “More then likely it’s the tree of Harmony! At least that is my theory!” a whooshing sound from the door along with the victorious shouted from Donnie “Weapons deactivated! Leo we need to move now!” He shouted The teens fled into the next room as Donnie and Swifty quickly set-up a new set of protocol to keep the doors shut behind them…The turtles were glaring at the girls once the madness seemed to settle…Raph was the first to speak “Why don’t you explain what the shell you were doing!?” Raphael shouted putting his hands on his hips as he waited for the girls to talk…only to be met with silence… The girls were wide-eyed and looking at something behind them…the four boys turned around out of curiosity. Collectively their jaws dropped at the sight before them, a tall crystal tree with diamonds hanging from strings of silver on it’s brightly shinning branches. Embedded in the heart of the tree was a purple star, and around the tree on what looked like crystal plaques were five brightly colored gems, the tree was emitting a soothing light. Dinky moved past the turtles “It really is the tree of harmony” the young unicorn had never really seen the tree but she had heard of it from Luna plenty of times, but to see it in all its beauty was a breathtaking… “Okay…this doesn’t look at all like a normal krang thing” Donnie said stepping forward and gently touching the tree. The tree was warm, it felt alive! Donnie swore he could feel some sort of positive energy flowing out of it “Wow…Its feels…so gentle” Donnie said sighing contently letting a smile grace his face. Swifty stepped forward and stood next to Donnie, “The tree of harmony is mysterious…no pony even knows the true nature of it…but what is known is from the tree of harmony came the elements of harmony and Equis’ greatest magic…” there was some sorrow in her voice as she reached out a hand and touched the tree as well “What your feeling is the magic of harmony…” Mikey’s cheeks puffed out as he watched Swifty stand next to Donnie, their hands were almost touching! He stomped up to them glaring at Donnie. He needed to say something! Anything! He put his own hand on the tree “So…what’s equis’ greatest magic anyway?” He asked trying to get Swifty to talk to him. “Friendship…the magic of friendship” Dinky said now stepping with Leo besides the other three. The young unicorn looked at Leo “I’m sorry we came here, but getting this tree back was important…your a…really good leader Leo…” Dinky couldn’t resist touching the tree as her sister had. She had lived so close to the Everfree Forest this tree had only been a mile away from her home town…and now she was seeing it….feeling it…Dinky was in a state of awe… Raphael was trying not to laugh “Magic of Friendship?! That was your ultimate magic?!” He broke out laughing “No wonder you guys lost!” He continued laughing till Mona hit him on the back of his head. “Just so you know…Ms. Fluttershy is directly connected to this tree and the magic of friendship” Mona scolded him with a glare. The dragoness walked up to the tree “Those stones are the elements of Harmony. They form the elements of harmony” Mona said placing her own hand on the tree. “F…Fluttershy…is connected…h..how?!” Raph asked with a blush on his face as he scrambled towards the tree wanting to touch it as well. How was his dream girl connected to this thing? Swifty sighed, Raph was going to be so sad when Discord was found…shaking her head she looked at Raph “Those gem stones embedded into the tree are the elements of harmony…they represent Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Laughter, Kindness, and Magic” The pegasus was interrupted by Dinky “Fluttershy is one of the elements of harmony, she the bearer of kindness” She said smiling. Leo blinked “A balloon? Why does that look familiar?” He asked, the blue terrapin was gazing at the tree. He didn’t know why, but he felt compelled to touch the tree as well…he knew they should be hurrying things along. The Krang could come through that door any moment but it felt like he was being pulled towards the tree….Leo reached out, his finger brushing against the tree… The tree of Harmony began glowing, the teens reacted trying to pull their collective hands away only to discover they were stuck. Panic began to take hold as their various shouts began filling the room. The tree only glowed brighter by the moment before bursting into a thousand rainbow lights and dispersing through the air… Swift Heart could only blink “It’s…gone?” the shock was evident on her face “B…but I can’t comprehend why…” “I…I…don’t understand what just happened?! The elements of Harmony are gone…again” Mona looked ready to cry, the tears threatening to spill from her eyes at any moment “What…what about Fluttershy? What will this mean for her? And Pinkie Pie?!” There was fear evident in the dragon’s voice. Dinky looked as though her very heart had shattered “We…failed…all trouble…and we failed” she uttered disheartened. Raphael heard the whoosh of the doors and turned to see the Krang had managed to open the door “Okay all men and girls time to go!” He shouted jumping towards the window and smashing it opened. “Let’s go! Everyone move it! We’re leaving now!” Leonardo shouted pushing each teen towards the broken window. He made sure they were all clear before leaving. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTMNT/MLPxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx The group battle worn and weary entered the lair. Standing and waiting for the return was two adults one looking ready to either kill or hug three members of the group while the other stood looking quite content and pleased that they had returned safely. “My daughters…it seems you’ve had your first taste of real combat, I had prayed such a thing would never be necessary…” Luna said solemnly with a frown on her face, “I must know…did you find the tree?” she questioned Dinky taking a deep breath stepped forward “Princess Luna, we…I failed…I couldn’t lead my own sister in battle…if not for Leonardo..I don’t even want to think about what could have happened…Leonardo lead us to our goal…” She looked up at Luna “We saw the tree of Harmony…but..” before she could continue Swifty put a hand on her shoulder taking a few steps forward. “We have all failed you this night…the tree..vanished before our very eyes” Swift Heart said frowning as she shook her head “We all had our hands on it…when it started pulsating…then glowing before bursting into rays of light” The pegasus looked away not wanting to see the look of disappointment in Luna’s eyes… Luna was silent for a moment “So…it seems we now know that Equis’ destruction was caused by these Krang…if they had the tree they are the enemy…my knights, Splinter has suggest you start going on nightly patrol with the boys and I have agreed…if we are to avenge our world you will need to learn more about the upper world and about combat…knowledge that can only come from experience….” Mona looked at Luna “We’re going to war aren’t we?” She asked looking at her younger sisters. She hit them, by accident, but she still hit them…the weapon she was suppose to use to help protect them was used to hurt them. Mona directed her eyes to the ground. “We are…the Krang had in their possession the Tree Of Harmony, and considering all that I have learned from Splinter…these Krang are inter-dimensional conquerors, it is my reason to believe they are responsible for what befell Equis” Luna paused for a moment, she didn’t want this, she didn’t want to send her precious students out into battle “…my young knights, a great burden has fallen on your shoulders…you must now fight for Equins everywhere, this world is our home now…if the Krang win…we will lose everything all over again” Luna said her voice evident with hurt. The immortal Alicorn didn’t know what else to say. The royal guards were nonexistence anymore, these girls were the last line of defense, “It’s time to go home” She walked past them “Say goodbye tomorrow training intensifies” she walked out of the lair The three girls said nothing as they looked at the boys and quietly. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTMNT/MLPxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx This day would mark the first time the turtles would go to Murokami’s Noodle House. If anything Mikey was the most enthusiastic about bring the girls to their favorite place to eat. Currently the boys seemed to have sort of competition going on… “Really?” Mona said raising an eyebrow as she watched the boys fight over a piece of Pizza Gyoza, though she had to admit watching them was rather entertaining “Is this really training?” Swifty blinked “I do believe this is what most call…boys being boys as the case were” She said taking a drink of her water as she watched the gyoza fly through the air. She calculated the end result “Mikey is going to get it” she whispered “Nah, Leonardo is” Dinky said smirking playfully, she saw the look in the leader’s eyes and sure enough using the flat of his blade Leonardo took victory. Dinky held out her hand as Swifty placed a few bits in the purple palm and grumbled unhappily. “Swifty bet on me! Booykasha!” The orange banded turtle said taking a seat next to her. He attempted to give his best suave smirk “Soooo, ya like?” He asked wiggling an eye ridge, “Cause you know I helped save the head chef here” Swifty blinked and opened her mouth for a moment before thinking about what she wanted to say “Michelangelo…I don’t mean to….correct you…it is certainly your story, but wasn’t it a team effort that liberated Murokami-san from the mist of peril?” She asked cocking her head to the side as her ears folded downward. Murokami couldn’t help but laugh as he spoke “Ah it was a team effort but Michelangelo-san was the turtle-san that caught me before I could fall to my, hahaha, peril” ah how he remembered being so young and wooing his own wife. The blind cook placed some more pizza gyoza on the counter with a smile on his face as he turned away and started cleaning up a bit. The turtles happily ate their pizza gyoza while the girls watched before glancing at their own plates filled with gyoza. Tentatively they each took a gyoza and bit popped them into their mouths, each girl had a similar reaction of their mind being blown by the awesome flavor of the most delectable treat. “Such a finally crafted pastry with a succulently flavored filling! I fully admit that this is truly a delectable treat!” Swifty said popping another gyoza in her mouth and humming with appreciation for the food as her tail wagged happily behind her and her ears wiggled with joy. Mikey stared in awe for a moment before snapping a picture, little heart floating around his head as he watched Swifty eat. He let out a sigh, was this really what Donnie went through with April? How could he wow her? What was the key to her heart? “Murokami! These are awesome!” Mona said boastfully as she swiped a gyoza from Raphael’s receiving an indignant glare from the green eyed turtle. Mona only smirked at him as she teasingly showed off a little black book from her pocket. Raph twitched and looked away, on the night he got drunk Mona pumped him for information that he gave freely. In his drunken state he revealed some pretty dark secrets and they were now in the clutches of that evil dragon…Why did she feel the need to mess with him of all turtles? “I hope you plan on sharing those bits since I did help you win them” Leo teased sitting next to Dinky with a smirk on his face. He watched as the unicorn laughed after finishing her gyoza. Dinky scratched behind her ear “Well I suppose I could share, but what do you need bits for?” she asked curiously leaning her head into her opened hand. “Well…um..” Leo blinked for a moment “I have no clue, but I’ve never been able to actually get near a market…” He scratched the back of his neck trying to find the right words to say. Dinky blinked for a moment before smiling “I get it,” She said folding her ears back and handing over the bits she won from Swifty “For the first time in your life you can go shopping like some pony normal…” She closed her eyes for a moment “Take a shopping trip on Swifty” Dinky giggled. The blue banded turtle blinked as he looked at the bits Dinky had handed to him. Originally he only meant it as a joke…but he really was excited now, he could go shopping…at a real market…with real money! The first thing he thought about was buying Splinter something. Splinter had always done everything he could to bring them up, never asking for anything in return…he and his little brother had always wanted to give something back…he smiled gently “I’m going to buy Splinter something…” “A father gift” Dinky said, giggling “That’s really sweet!” She gushed slightly before frowning as she thought about her mom, “Every Mother’s Day…I always buy my Mom…my birth Mom…a gift…for the past 13 years I gotten her a gift…when I find her I’m going to let her know how much I missed her and how much I love her” She put a hand on Leo’s shoulder, “But remember a gift’s true meaning is one that comes from the heart” Leonardo looked at Dinky staring into her yellow eyes “I’ll keep that in mind” He said putting the bits away. Donnie looked at his watch “Well we should start heading out, Master Splinter and Luna said they wanted us back around this time” he said Begrudgingly the teens sighed but left without a problem, Mikey forgetting his doggie bag as they left Murokami’s place. Swifty paused as the boys got their skate boards and helmets on. Her gazed lingering on the sky she couldn’t see the stars, more then likely due to the city lights…her wings twitched slightly before she forced her thoughts to focus on getting back underground. “You know…I won’t tell her” Mikey said suddenly putting a hand on Swifty’s shoulder causing her to jump a bit. The pegasus looked rather confused “W…whatever do you mean?” She stuttered slightly turning away from him. Mikey blinked and looked at the ground “It’s just you look at the sky and your twitch, a lot…so I mean it like ya cool that you have wings and you should total just take off.” He smiled at her, “I know Luna has that ‘don’t fly higher then the buildings’ rule…but I can totally keep a secret” he said trying to get her to look at him. Swifty shook her head “I best not…Princess Luna makes rules for a reason…it’s our responsibility to follow them…” She walked past him calmly; however, Mikey grabbed her wrist gently. “She makes the rules but that doesn’t mean there right!” Mikey said looking cross, “She doesn’t see how much flying means to you and how it like hurts you not to fly…” Mikey felt his heart pounding on his chest as he held her wrist before letting her go. He put on his helmet and pushed off on his skateboard, his face bright red “I held her hand!” He thought enthusiastically. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTMNT/MLPxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx April tried to focus on the movie, it was suppose to be a good movie…one of those Zombie movies or something. The red head sighed as she thought about her other friends, a few weeks ago she found out those girls they had met had gotten into trouble…aside from getting the boys drunk in which Casey admitted he was jealous of…they had all gone on a dangerous mission…for some reason bringing these new girls into the dynamics bothered her. Or rather bringing Swifty in bothered her…April kept thinking on all the things she knew about Swift Heart so far…she was a genius like Donnie, liked fiddling with technology like Donnie, had a lab like Donnie, the only real big difference between her and Donnie was her ‘degree’ in potion making…and even that fascinated Donatello…an added possibility to increase their arsenal…Swifty was already talking about making a blinding smoke bomb… April felt like a third wheel yesterday when the two were talking in technical terms that blew over her head, yet they could talk without stopping to explain things in layman's terms…they just understood the tech talk… Shouldn’t she be happy? Happy that a girl was interested in her best none human friend in the whole world? Happy that Donnie found a companion? Yet she couldn’t help but feel conflicted…it could mean the end of the Casey/Donnie rivalry once and for all….Donnie could be with a girl…that….that didn’t care about being normal… April glanced at Casey, shouldn’t she be concentrating on this boy? A normal…somewhat normal human boy? Now that he had all his teeth back he did have a charming smile…but Donnie’s gap tooth was cuter….damn it!!! The credits started rolling, April twitched internally as the credits rolled across the screen. She had been thinking so hard about Donnie she hardly paid attention to the movie! She cringed when she heard Casey and Irma get up…she’ll have to wing it at this point and make pretend that she was watching…. April stood up and began rapidly talking, hoping she was talking so animatedly they wouldn’t be able to tell she hadn’t paid attention to anything… “Who said this was a da…ah” April stopped mid-sentence as a spike of pain shot in her head “We’re being followed” xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTMNT/MLPxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx “Okay we’ll split like this Dinky, Swift Heart, Donnie and I will look for April. Mona, Raph, and Mikey look for Casey” Leonardo ordered frowning when Mikey raised a hand in the air looking upset, “Yes Mikey?” He asked rubbing his face with his hand. Mikey snorted “Why does Swifty get to go with you guys?” He asked only to get smacked upside the head by Raphael as said turtle grabbed his shell and dragged him off. Raph rolled his eyes as he and Mona walked off to the ice rink, he was sure Casey was there practicing for his next game. Leonardo felt bad about Mikey but he also knew that sending Swifty on his team would only further to distract the already ADHD turtle from the problem at hand. Murakami was attacked by Karai and Tiger Claw whom were now out there ready to hurt both Casey and April. He also worried about Dinky, after her failed first run as a leader he honestly wanted to be a good role model for her…he hoped Dinky could learn from him. Leo glanced at Dinky, he had talked to Splinter and Luna about the situation from the last fight with the Krang and proposed the idea of maybe making Dinky his temporary 2nd in command until she built the confidence to lead her team without him…both adults were still discussing the situation…he only hoped Dinky didn’t second guess herself again once they were in battle again. “Swifty take to the sky see if you can catch sight of April” Leo said turning to the only member with wings in the group. The pegasus blinked “B…but I’m not allowed to fly higher then the buildings….” She said in almost a skittish way her eyes casting downward. Donnie growled and roughly grabbed Swifty by the shoulder “Well today your listening to Leo! April’s life is on the line! So get your feathers up there and find her!” He shouted at Swifty. He was seriously done with Swifty’s submissive personality when it came to just about anything. Swift Heart went stiff as Donnie hurt her shoulder and her heart began beating faster when he yelled at her. Her blue eyes dilated as she stared at him pulling away in almost a frightened manner, with a flap of her wings took to the air. Dinky blinked she had seen Swifty never acted like that “Was that really necessary? Did you even see how she acted when you did that?” She snapped glaring at Donnie “I have never seen her act like a frightened rabbit!” “We’ll talk about it later!” Leonardo snapped stepping between that two with a displeased look on his face “Donnie you will apologize to Swifty later” he wasn’t trying to be heartless, he had seen the young mare’s fearful reaction as well but he couldn’t deal with it now…Karai was out there so was Tiger Claw…and both were on the hunt for their friends… Swifty landed besides Leo “I spotted her. April is on a rooftop with Karai about ten rooftops away” She said keeping her eyes downward as she turned and began flying off towards the red head’s location. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTMNT/MLPxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx “APRIL!!!” April looked behind her and smiled as Donnie came running towards her. He always came when she was in trouble…her gaze shifted as she noticed Swifty, Dinky, and Leo weren’t far behind. “Get away from her!” Donnie sneered taking a protective stance before April as he glared at Karai. April felt a tender warmth flood her when Donnie spoke; however, she quickly shook it off and stepped forward “It’s okay guys!” she said smiling gently as she began explaining the situation to the four teens. Dinky watched the interaction between the group, she wasn’t sure what to make of Karai except for the fact she liked her make-up. Leo trusted her and so did Donnie, what right did she have to argue with them? Dinky felt somewhat out of place and something about this didn’t seem right, she wanted to voice her own opinion…she didn’t want to lead Karai to the lair without further questioning the ninja herself…but what right did she really have? Dinky glanced at the ground and sighed sadly…she didn’t trust the Karai…something in her eyes… “I don’t trust her” Swift said suddenly finding her tongue, yes Donatello’s sudden abusive actions towards her person had shocked her and brought her to the final realization that Donnie wasn’t her friend or anything more then some turtle she needed to avoid. Her eyes hardened as she looked at the turtles “Donatello you claim to be a turtle of science and yet you allow your own foolish emotions to blind you to the facts” She folded her ears back glaring at the turtle. She pointed a finger at the purple banded turtle “You are guilty of the same thing this girl is…willing to say anything to gain what you desire” Swifty struck down her truth before the group, “On what grounds do you have valid proof that this girl does indeed believe you? Her word?” Swift challenged her fathers ruffling in anger, as she stepped towards Karai “Words are the weapons that leave the deepest scares that no one can see, they can be twisted and forged into lies that your ears desire to hear” she crossed her arms over her chest and glared Donnie blinked at this sudden outburst and glared back “I’ll have you know April’s intuition is infallible!” he defended the love of his life. The turtle wasn’t used to this side of Swift Heart…normally she was quite passive when it came to…well…anything… “I trust April with my life, and if she believes Karai then so do I!” “And that blind trust without grounds of proof will get you killed!” Swift Heart’s muzzle wrinkled up a bit as she stepped forward “Donatello do not be a fool about this!” She snapped and turned to Leo “As leader you should be more level then the rest of us…your testosterones are currently in charge due to your attraction to this girl as is your desire to be your father’s favorite. Your desire to bring Karai to her birth father blinds you to the truth of her nature” Leonardo blinked rapidly and with an indignant tone in his voice “I don’t desire to be Splinter’s favorite! And I just want Sensei to be happy that’s all!” He looked away “And I don’t need to be contradicted by someone that doesn’t understand the whole situation!” “Oh that’s rich coming from you Leo! You don’t need to try and be Splinter’s favorite everyone already knows he likes you best! It’s the reason he made you leader” Donnie shouted at Leo glaring “You’ve always kissed up to him and molded yourself into the perfect son!” Dinky stepped forward “Enough! Swift Heart! We are going to talk later! Right now I’m going to put my faith in Leonardo and we are going to take Ms. Karai to her father” Dinky shouted looking at the group “Swifty you’ve cause unnecessary friction in the group, your grounded” Karai blinked and looked at the two girls “Who are they?” She asked looking to Leo for answers, she was lucky the girl with the horn stopped the fighting…if she hadn’t Karai was worried her cover would be blown….the pink girl was intelligent….and unlike Donatello…not easily moved by simple words…but everything was back on track now…she smirked Swifty went silent it was obvious Donatello couldn’t be trusted, his foolish affections for the human girl blinded him. It’s better for her to forget any physical attraction she had and move on. She followed the group “Your all insane” xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTMNT/MLPxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx The other group wasn’t having much luck as they came upon Casey’s beaten form. The teen was once again missing teeth which made Mona winch at the sight…. “He looks bad…really bad” Mona said pulling out a vile fill with a green liquid “Help me prop him up, Swifty makes us all carry these healing potions it’s not much but it’ll at least alleviate some of the pain he’s feeling” The dragon said as Raph quickly came over and did as Mona request. The red banded turtle propped up his friend and watched Mona carefully give him the potion, he watched as some of the bruises went away and Casey started breathing a little easier. Raph smiled a bit and watched as Mona picked the teen up “Let’s get him back to the lair” he said Mikey blinked “So….Swifty made that?” He asked looking at the now empty vile curiously, “What kind of things does she like anyway?” Mona blinked as she looked at Mikey and sighed, he had been bugging her with Swift Heart questions since the group split, it started out as cute now it was just annoying! “Mikey…ASK HER YOURSELF!” she shouted with a twitch in her eyes as she rubbedd her forehead. Raph chuckled “For once I actually agree with thunder thighs” He said walking besides his little brother “If ya wanna get to know a girl ya gotta talk to her yourself baby brother, even though you have no chance of ever getting with her” He laughed loudly “I mean she a egghead like Donnie she’d have to be crazy to date you” he teased Mikey glared “I’m not all that smart so what! I bet once she gets to know me…!” he was cut off by Raphael “She’ll run for the mountains” Raph finished the sentence with a boisterous laugh. Mona now let out a growl “I think Mikey has a perfect chance!” she shouted turning around quickly Casey’s head hitting a lamp pole as she did “OH! I’m sorry Casey!!!!” she squeaked out quickly before turning to Mikey “On my honor as a dragon I’m going to help you win Swifty!” “Love is one of the most powerful magics in all of Equis! It comes in all forms, in ever species! It’s not about one being smarter then the other its all about feelings!” Mona belted out proudly “And I, Mona Lisa the dragon swear to ensure you win the heart of Swift Heart proving that true love conquers all!!” She shouted turning away, smashing Casey’s head once more into the phone poll…. “Casey is going to have one heck of a headache when he wakes up and more then likely….your too much a hopeless cause to actually succeed in…well anything” Raph said following behind. “Funny….I’d think my own brother would believe in me more then an outsider” Mikey huffed storming away… xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTMNT/MLPxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx It hadn’t taken the trio long to reach the lair, Mona quickly laid Casey on the beaten up sofa “He should be okay….might wanna check for a concussion….” she commented nervously looking at Raph. “Well if you hadn’t slammed his head into a phone poll that wouldn’t have been necessary” Raphael snapped at her. He glanced at the Dojo wandering what Master Splinter was currently doing. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone coming in. Mikey happily turned towards the door “Swifty your back!” He said all excitedly little hearts floating around his head… “What she doing here?” Raphael sneered as he spotted Karai “What is the Princess of the Foot Clan doing in our home!” Swift Heart snorted “Misleading and lying in order to obtain her goal your ultimate demised…I want it on record I was against this” she looked away “Raph she believes us!” Leonardo shouted at Raph, why was everyone trying to argue with him today!? Dinky watched as Leo and Raph argued, she didn’t like seeing family fight…she glanced at Swifty knowing her own little sister was angry at her for being indecisive and not speaking up for her….Dinky’s ears flattened against her head as she glanced at the ground.. “What is going on here?!” All the teens looked up at Splinter, the old rat looked at the children before him with an angry look in his black eyes; however, upon looking upon his long lost daughter those hard eyes “M…Miwa..” He turned away “Come” he ordered and motioned for her to follow him… Raph turned to Leo “This has to be the stupidest thing you EVER done!” he shouted “Male hormones got in the way apparently overshadowing any form of level headed thought or concern for the safety of his own family and allies” Swift Heart stated coldly Leonardo twitched in anger “Will you both shut up! Both of you don’t know Karai like I do! She is Splinter’s daughter theres good in her!” Swifty felt like sneering “Blood is meaningless, by simply assuming that by blood Karai is good does not make it so…blood ties do not make a family what it is” a look of pain crossed her face. Raphael actually walked over to Swift “I’m actually agreeing with her! That’s how stupid this whole idea of yours is! Your putting our family at risk for your stupid crush!” Leo snarled and stormed passed them determined to prove them wrong, he was going to talk to Karai himself! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTMNT/MLPxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Karai looked at the photo wide eyed, her heart was beating so loud Karai swore she heard drums in her ears. Splinter, Hamato Yoshi, the man, the rat, her father’s rival and the fiend that supposedly killed her mother….was her real father….like a bucket of ice falling on her the chill of reality splashed upon Karai “I don’t believe it…” She gasped out and turned to see the look of devastation of Leonardo’s face…Leonardo…an ache began to form in her chest seeing the hurt look on his face…. “B…but you said you did believe us…” Leo looked pleadingly at Karai, wanting so hard for Raph and Swifty to be wrong…he wanted so badly to be right about Karai… “Tiger Claw has a tracking device…he’ll find us…” Karai turned to Splinter “You…you knew…” the ache began to grow…. “I told you! I told you Leo!” Raph shouted glaring at Karai “She the foot!” Karai was panicking “We don’t have time for this! Tiger Claw is going to be here unless we lead him away!” She shouted Without a word the teens fled the lair and were surprised with Mikey announcing he had a plan… “I’m scared” Donnie whimpered looking terrified Swifty blinked “intriguing, please elaborate” Mikey early smirked… xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTMNT/MLPxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Luna entered the lair, she sensed a heavy feeling in the air “What has happened?” She asked looking to the rat… “Miwa…my daughter learned the truth, but our union was short lived…there all out there…fighting Tiger Claw…” The pure sorrow in his voice could drive a knife into someone heart, “Why must all my children suffer because of me…” He was holding the picture of his human family not even looking at Luna… “Pain…is part of growing up, it’s a part of all of us…most of the time we inflict pain on others without conscious thought” Luna walked confidently towards Splinter, “In my life I’ve cause much pain to those closest to me, I see much of myself in the Shredder…I too was driving to great jealousy once…I too gave into the darkness of my heart…I caused great pain to both my subjects the very ponies whose love I desired more then anything…but worse of all…I caused pain to my elder sister…Celestia…” Luna gently placed a hand on Splinter’s shoulder, “I was brought back to the light by six friend…I doubt Shredder will ever have the chance of redemption as I did…not everyone can be redeemed…what is happening is not your fault the Shredder is blinded by he darkness…all you…all we can do…is prepare them enough to survive…and perhaps…one day…win” Splinter cracked a smile and sighed “Thank you, your words bring me much comfort….it has been a long time since I’ve had a good friend…I’m glad to count you among them” “I’ve been thinking about what Leonardo suggested…I believe it would be in Dinky’s best interest to study under a leader with more experience then she…I believe in her…but as long as she keep holding herself back…she will never become the leader I know she is capable of” Luna said sternly looking at Splinter. The rat nodded his head “Very well, Dinky will act as second in command, I believe she may help Leonardo with his burden…have two to carry such a heavy weight may be just what they both need” Splinter commented folding his hands together as he glanced at Casey snoring away….the boy would be fine…. April walked into the room carrying an ice pack “I hope they come back soon” She said softly walking over to Casey and placing the ice on his swollen head “Tiger Claw did a number on him…this bump on his head is terrible!” she commented looking at Luna and Splinter. The two adults said nothing…. The silence was broken when shouting from the turnstile, all those present in the pit area turned to see the teens rushing through the entrance Mikey and Swifty were being carried in…they looked in really bad shape… “Lay them down!” Donnie shouted as he rushed to his lab to get his med kit Raphael as gently as he could placed Mikey down on the sofa propping his head up on a pillow, while Mona was laying Swift Heart on the opposite sofa being extra careful with her oddly bent wing… Donnie reentered the pit and began tending to his little brother first knowing how to take care of him quicker then Swifty, he looked to his father and Princess Luna “Mikey’s shell was knocked loose…and…I…I don’t know about Equin physiology….but I’ll do my best…” He had a concerned look on his face as he quickly tended to Mikey forcing his shell back into place with a sickening crack, he didn’t even flinch… Luna watched with fascination as Donatello tended to the injured turtle, she had seen the intelligence in him before hand, but to see this collected youth preforming a difficult looking procedure without so much as break down….She stepped forward “I’ll instruct you how to tend Swift Heart” She said calmly The purple banded turtle nodded as he finished up with Mikey and moved over to Swifty, “What do I do?” he asked. Luna gracefully moved over to Donatello, “You’ll have to be gentle her wing is severely broken, you’ll have to re-break it back into place; however, wing bones are are extremely tough…especially Swift Heart’s in particular you’ll need to put enough strength to move the bones back into place…but too much you’ll break the wing even further” Donnie nodded gently taking the broken wing into his large hands, he blinked feeling the wing. It was covered in both fur and feathers…they felt rather soft…almost like satin…really, really soft satin…he felt up to were the bone was snapped and gripping it tightly he pushed the bone back into place. “The shock of the break was what probably knocked her out, a pagasi’ wings are very sensitive” Luna further explained putting a hand under her chin “Nothing else seems to be wrong with her…a few minor scratches…” A sigh of relief was let out “I’m glad….” Donnie said looking at Swift Heart, he couldn’t help but wonder…had Swifty been right about him? Had he allowed his emotions to blind him to the truth about Karai…had he truly just followed April simply in the futile attempt to gain her affections? Because he refused to look at the facts and didn’t question the change in heart both Mikey and Swifty had been hurt… Leo sighed and looked at Dinky, then he glanced at Master Splinter and Princess Luna. He narrowed his eyes “We lost Karai to Tirger Claw…I’m sorry Master Splinter…I…we failed you” He said looking to the ground… Splinter’s ears perked up as he turned to his oldest “You came home safely, you haven’t failed me, my son” He said tenderly, yes he wanted his daughter back but not at the cost of his sons…they were his even if they didn’t carry his blood…they were his precious family…he couldn’t bare loosing any of them…Closing his eyes “Things will work themselves out” “Don’t worry too much about Karai, she was raised by Shredder. He’s probably embracing her in his arms as we speak” Raph said assuredly with his trademark smirk and his arms folded over his plastron. Mona rolled her eyes and slapped Raph upside the back of his head “You really are a moron, guys like the Shredder don’t tolerate failure and now that Karai knows the truth, the real truth…their is no way things back at Foot HQ will stay the same….” The dragon looked on edge as she looked away “Sometimes when the truth comes out…walls fall….and even after they get fixed…you’ll always see the cracks…” she closed her eyes as she moved over to Dinky… Dinky looked at Mikey and Swifty “What’s happening their doesn’t matter, what matters is our next step…I’m not going to hesitate anymore! I could have done more tonight! Next time I will do more!” She said with determination and a fire burning in her eyes. Luna nodded smiling gently “Then perhaps now will be a good time to tell of Splinter’s and I decision…if you are to be working together Leonardo came up with the idea and we agree…Dinky you will act as Leonardo’s second in command…learn from him and learn with him” She said sternly Donnie was wrapping up Swift Heart’s wing and putting a make-shift brace on it “April is Casey alright?” He asked looking at his crush still tending to the punk brat…. “He’s fine…” April said locking eye with Donnie, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was mad at her…he had trusted her judgement and thanks to that almost got the lair exposed, Mikey could have died…she exposed the girls the girls to the foot…the Foot Clan now knew the turtles had allies…they weren’t ready to face the foot! They were just as dangerous as the Krang! Why did she keep putting those close to her in danger?! The guilt chewed at her heart as she stewed in her own self-pity. Dinky bowed to her teacher and Master Splinter “Thank you for this opportunity…I swear..I’m not going to let either of you down!” Dinky stood straight again and looked at Leo “Thank you…I won’t fail to be a good second, but…I am going to start speaking up from now on…if I had just come up with an alternate plan…or suggestion maybe some of tonight could have been avoided” Leonardo smiled and placed a hand on top of Dinky’s head “Hey it’s alright…I think I need someone questioning me once in a while…leadership is a heavy burden…and I’m sharing that with you…it’s going to be both of our duty to protect our family” He said ruffling her mane a little…he had to admit it was kind of fun being able to ruffle someone’s hair and the irate look on her face was too cute…he chuckled Luna bent down and scooped Swift Heart up into her arms being careful of her broken wing “Girls let us be off, it’s best we return home and let Michelangelo and Swift Heart rest…I’m sure Swift Heart will be quite hungry when she wakes” she said with a motherly smile crossing her face. Mona and Dinky nodded and stood close to Luna. The Hamato family covered their eyes as the Princess used a teleportation spell to vanish from the lair… “Mikey would probably like to wake up in his own bed” Donnie commented moving over to his little brother and check to make sure he didn’t suffer any other injuries… Raph walked over to his little brother and being as gentle as possible picked up Mikey and carried him to his room, “Take it easy little brother, you did good tonight” He whispered to Mikey kicking open the door to Mikey’s room and walking over to the bed. Once he placed Mikey on the bed, Raph proceeded to tuck the younger turtle under the covers like Splinter used to do when they were tots….a frown crossed the red banded turtle’s face. He looked at Mikey…why did Splinter’s troubled past have to drag all of them into this mess…he didn’t like these thought…but he couldn’t help it….Splinter’s past was getting them further into trouble…wasn’t the Krang enough? Why did it fall unto them to fix Splinter’s problems? Raphael sighed rubbing his head before quickly leaning over and placing a quick kiss on Mikey’s forehead “Sleep tight little brother” he said getting up and leaving… xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTMNT/MLPxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Luna laid Swift Heart into her bed and gently brushed her bang from her forehead and kissed her temple “I know I’m forcing this burden on all of you…” she said softly “No…if we’re going to fight the Krang together we can’t turn a blind eye to the Foot!” Dinky said narrowing her eyes, “If we’re allies with them then their enemies are our as well” Mona snorted a small ring of smoke puffing out from her nostrils “Yeah! And ain’t you always tellin’ us to help a friend out? I call this helping out” She said smirking, “Besides I got score to settle with Tiger Claw…” She didn’t like someone being stronger then her….Tiger Claw swatted her away like a pathetic fly…she wasn’t going to let that happen ever again! Swifty stirred and opened her eyes “Luna?” She asked meekly glancing up at the Princess of the Night “My wing…I suppose I won’t be flying for a quite a while” She said frowning as she glanced at the brace, “I suppose I will be confided to the village until my wing has made a complete recover?” Luna nodded “Yes, I can’t risk sending you above ground until your wing is fully recovered” she said sternly “What of Mikey? I recall seeing him injured in the battle” Swift Heart asked sounding worried “Will I need to prepare a potion?” she asked sitting up as best she could. Dinky however pushed the filly back unto the bed “He’ll be fine, Donnie’s taking care of him” She offered a smile. Swifty frowned “Are you sure Donatello is even capable?” She questioned looking displeased, “I cannot trust his judgement” she looked away Mona blinked raising an eyebrow, perhaps hooking Mikey and Swifty up wasn’t going to be as difficult as she thought….well…moderately difficult…and what was with the ice queen attitude? Hadn’t Swifty been crusin’ on Donnie a few days ago? Donnie probably done something stupid….males…no matter the spices they were all morons…but at least a few of them were adorable enough to over look the moron gene…. “Enough talk…” Luna said gently “Get some sleep little one” Her horn lit up casting a small sleep spell on the tiny magenta filly and putting her into a gentle and warm dream filled sleep. She then ushered the other two out… Lyra and Bonbon were waiting outside Swifty’s room both looking equally worried when Lyra sensed Luna teleporting in…the two mares were holding each other tightly waiting for the appearance of their family to emerge from Swifty’s room… Luna looked at the two mares “Swift Heart’s wing was broken, she’s currently sleeping…” Bonbon nodded looking uneasy, she didn’t like the idea of the girl having to fight…but knew she couldn’t stop them even if she tried…instead she released Lyra and latched unto Mona and Dinky planting kisses unto their foreheads and hugging them tightly. Lyra smiled “If I know Swifty she’ll get past this and soar even higher then before…speaking of which…Luna you need to revoke the rule…” She said stepping towards the Princess, “There are going to be times when she NEEDS to fly higher then a freaking building top! She tries her best to follow your rules…she’ll follow them to the T just to make ya happy, but in a fight she’s going to need the air” the mint colored mare said folding her arms over her chest “You maybe correct…in the heat of battle a knight must have no restrictions…for the most part" She gave Mona a warning glance "…I’ll talk to her when she is healed” Luna said walking past them “I will be continuing my search for my sister and other Equins for the time being” with that said she vanished in a flash of light… To Be Continued