A warriors heart

Reflections

Reflections
    I woke up to the sound of a door opening. My eyes shot open and I jolted up, heart racing. My eyes settled on the face of my sister standing in front of me. She came back to the apartment about three days after I had left the sewer because of the argument. I looked away from her grinning face, breathing heavily. She laughed and ran over to my bed joyfully. "Relax, girl! It's just me!" She called and I scoffed before slapping her arm. April yelped before narrowing her eyes at me with a wide grin. "Guess what?" She asked and I glanced up at her and raised an eyebrow. "What?" Her entire face lit up. "Donnie said he liked me!" I smiled slyly. "Oh really? I would've never known." April gave me a skeptical look before nudging me. "Mhm, yeah, whatever you say." She said, I laughed before fully facing her. "So are you two going to date or...?" I asked. She pursed her lips and then responded. "Well, that's the thing. We are figuring out how we want to approach this. Donnie of course was overjoyed to find out I liked him but we didn't know what step to take next..." I nodded slowly as I looked away from her and stared out the window.
    April's brow furrowed and she reached out for my shoulder. "Calypso, what is it?" I sighed and dropped my shoulders. "Nothing. I think you and Donnie will be great together!" I said with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. April huffed before rolling her eyes. "Come on, Cal. Don't try to change the subject. I know that isn't true... Spill, now." She said sternly. I brought my legs up and wrapped my arms around them. "Is it about Leonardo? You haven't gone back to the sewer for like two weeks. What happened?" I slid my eyes over to her awaiting face before responding. "I had told Leo about how I felt. He said he wanted to be with me." I huffed, earning a confused look from April. "That's a good thing, right? Him wanting to be with you, I mean?" She interrupted. I lowered my eyebrows. "Yes, but he doesn't think we could be together due to the risks. But there's more. He doubted that I truly loved him." April looked puzzled. "Why would he think that?" I shrugged. "I don't know... maybe he just does actually care for me..." I said sadly. "Or maybe he's just still trying to recover from the last time he had feelings for someone. Leo takes his time to step back and observe, Cal. That's how he is... and you know that. You're closer to him than I am. Since you care about him, then it is your job to understand him and respect his boundaries. If you do that, what more can anyone ask of you?" When April said that, something inside me knew she was right. Damn she was good. But I didn't want to see Leo, at least not right now. I don't care how right she was, I don't think I could bring myself to even look at him.
    April sighed when I didn't show any signs of letting up on the issue. She stood up and held out a hand, waiting for me to take it. She gave me one of her, "Are you serious'?" looks before bending down and grabbing my hand. "Come on. We aren't going to see the guys." She said, I sighed before she pulled me up onto my feet. "Then where are we going?" I asked. April rolled her eyes and huffed. "Just get changed and meet me at my car when you are done." She said with a wink. "Fine." I said in more of a breath than anything. April gave me a thumbs up before walking out of my bedroom and shutting the door behind her. I slowly walked over to my dresser and picked out some random black athletic shorts and a tank top. I pulled my hair up into a bun, huffing slightly. I stared at my reflection, thinking about what April had said about Leo. "Do you love him?" I asked myself. I bit the inside of my mouth as I thought about this. Yes. But he pushed me away... Maybe I should try to move on.
    I put on some flip flops and went outside the apartment to find April near her car. She looked up at me from her phone and let out a slow breath. "What?" I asked tentatively. She glanced back at her phone and then back to me. "It's about Leo... you sure you want to know?" I sighed and then gestured for her to read whatever it was she was talking about. "Leo has been texting me, asking if you were alright and if I could ask you to go see him. He really has something to say to you apparently, especially since you aren't answering your phone." She said cautiously. I rolled my eyes and looked away, pretending to be uninterested. "Whatever. Just tell him that I am fine." April shook her head briefly before responding to him. "Go ahead and get in the car." She said after a moment. I huffed and climbed into the front seat. After I closed the door, I slipped my phone out of my pocket and briefly looked at the screen. Hm... two missed calls from Leo and three messages from him as well... Must've been using the Iphone Donnie was given. I swiped each notification, making it go away from the display screen. April opened the door on the other side of the car and I turned off my phone, setting it back into my pocket.
    We had been driving for a long time, almost two hours. When we finally stopped, I looked out the window and gasped. We were at the beach, my favorite place in the world and the perfect getaway from all my problems back at home. April laughed at my expression. "Yup... the beach! The only place for two hours that is free of any polluted air." April called as I smiled and quickly unbuckled my seat belt. I then opened the door and got out of the car. April soon followed and breathed in the salty sea air. I felt the warm sea breeze blow through my hair almost as if I was meant to be here all along. I closed my eyes and smiled. Suddenly, I felt myself change back to my mutant form. Thank goodness no one else had come to the beach April had taken me too. "Geez, Caly! You might as well stay in that form. You keep going back to it!" I opened my eyes and snorted. "If you don't remember, this is my new form. My human self is only temporary now. I can't be human full time." April waved her hand dismissively at me before laughing. "Lucky for you, we will be staying down here for the next week. I am using Dad's beach house." I gasped and wheeled my head around to face her. "Your father had a beach house and you never told me?" I called as I then nipped at her hand. April yelped and then patted my snout. "Oh be quiet. I think it's time you find out something anyways." She said softly. I cocked my head in confusion.                                          
"The house will be yours when you are old enough to move out. I'll be living in New York, but you can live there." She said and my eyes lit up with joy. I brought my head down to her. "Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I exclaimed. April smiled widely and placed her forehead on mine. "Anything, sis. Anything." She said gently. I let out a low, content rumble from deep in my throat. April went to the trunk of her car and opened it, grabbing two heavy looking suitcases. She struggled to lift both of them, so I turned back to her and grabbed both of them in my mouth. April gave me a playful disapproving look. "That's absolutely disgusting. Your slobber is going to be all over my clothes!" She called. I snorted before lying down on the soft sand. "Get on." I said in between my teeth. April nodded like a maniac and then climbed onto me. I stood back up and felt April wrap her arms around the bottom of my neck.
I put the suitcases in my front paws and then reared up on my back legs. "Hold on!" I said, turning my head to her. "Um, you sure about this Cal? I don't think you've had enough practice to be-" She didn't get to finish her sentence before I spread my wings and thrusted them down, sending us off the ground. April screamed and held on to me tighter. I leveled out and flew steadily a little ways above the beach. The warm wind blew over my wings and I breathed in deeply. I turned a bit to the right and then to the left. As I became more comfortable with being up in the air, I looked back at April and saw her still holding on tightly with her eyes scrunched closed.
"April, open your eyes . . ." I said calmly. She slowly did and looked around. She then started to let go of my neck and eased her way into an upright position. The wind blew through her dark brown hair and she closed her eyes, breathing deeply. "This is absolutely amazing... Why didn't we do this sooner?" She said after a few moments. I turned my head back forward and a low growl came out of me. "You never asked. Then again, I wasn't too confident in myself either. I was scared to fly because I thought I would crash into a building or something." April laughed and then gasped. I shot my head back towards her, eyes wide and nostrils flaring. She looked surprised for a second but then laughed again. "Relax, Caly! I just got an idea."
"My gosh, you scared me!" I called. "Fly down over the water! You know, like how you'd see in movies! It'll be cool!" She exclaimed. I laughed and then told her to hold on. I quickly turned to the water and lowered myself right over the ocean's surface. I glided smoothly over the waves as April reached down, letting her hand drag through the water as I flew. She laughed as if she was a four year old on christmas. I smiled and took on a relaxed form as I flapped my wings every now and then. "Hey, Cal?" April asked. "Yeah?" I responded, looking over at the horizon. "We need to get to the beach house. It's that one." She pointed to a light blue, one story house situated right on the beach.
I nodded and then flew to the sand in front of the house, landing softly. I held my right wing out towards the sand so that April could slide off. After she got down, I folded my wings and set the two suitcases down.  "So this is it?" I asked after changing back to my human form. April nodded and hugged me. "This is it! Dad used to take me down here every summer... We would sit right over there and watch the sunset." She said sadly. I hugged her closer and looked at the sand. "I know it hurts, April. I miss him too..." I said gently. "Well, no point in dwelling on something no one could help. Let's get these suitcases inside and get situated. We have a fun packed week ahead of us and you are going to love it."
Morning came and I got up out of my bed. April told me that today we were going to go to the mall and I am going to get a helix piercing (A piercing in the top curve of my left ear). I got up and opened the two doors of my room that opened out to the beach. I breathed in the salty air as the breeze blew into the room. I felt a pain near my lower back and then leapt up as I felt my shorts rip. What the heck?! I frantically looked over my shoulder and saw a long, scaly, blue tail sticking out, waving back and forth. I gasped and grabbed it, looking around the room. Why? What did I even do? I let go of my tail and grabbed my busted shorts off the ground. I groaned and threw them into the trash can. I then walked over to my suitcase and got another pair of athletic shorts and curled my tail up, tucking it into the shorts. I let out a breath of relief and then went to the bathroom, getting ready to brush my teeth. As I tried to calm myself down, I looked at my reflection and shrieked. My eyes looked like they did in my mutant form. They were the snake like looking eyes that were turquoise blue with slits for pupils. I groaned loudly and closed my eyes, breathing deeply. Maybe they were controlled by emotions...
After a few moments of steady breaths, I opened my eyes and saw that they changed back to their normal human shape and hazel coloration. I sighed and then brushed my teeth. I noticed that my toothpaste was two months expired and then skeptically read the back of the tube, trying to see if it said anything about possible health hazards. Since I saw nothing of the sort, I simply shrugged and then put it on the toothbrush.
Once I was finished getting ready, I went out into the kitchen and got myself cereal, completely forgetting about the tail I had in my athletic shorts. I only remembered when April suddenly gasped. "Geez, Caly! What's with the extra junk in the trunk?" I froze and slowly turned around. When I met her gaze, I saw she had a confused look on her face. I sighed and bent down to pick up the spoon I had dropped. I heard a ripping sound and turned my head to see my tail thump to the ground. I waved it back and forth behind me and huffed.
"Oh come on!" I said, irritated and stomped my foot. April put her book down and came over to me. "Caly, why do you have a tail? I thought you could transform back to a human without any . . . additions?" I sighed at her question. "I don't know! It just appeared out of nowhere!" I huffed, crossing my arms and looking at it. The blue scales glistened in the light as I moved my tail back and forth. April put a hand on her cheek and shook her head back and forth slowly. "We can't leave until that thing is put away..." She said agitated.
I rolled my eyes and huffed. "Thanks captain obvious. But what should I do?" I asked. April shrugged before looking back at me. I sighed and looked down before I felt something vibrate in my pocket. I pulled out my phone and saw Leo's contact photo. I furrowed my brow and felt so compelled to just answer the phone. As much as I hated to admit it right now, I missed him... a lot... It took everything in me to not answer. April looked at me, confused and I showed her the missed call notification. She said, "oh..." and then sighed.                   
    I put the phone back in my pocket and looked down at my tail. "You miss him, don't you?" April asked as if reading my mind. I glanced up warily at her and nodded slightly. "I don't know what to think about everything. I love him but he doubts that I truly do. He thinks that we shouldn't be together because of the risks and uncertainty. I don't know if I should just stay away from him and see if I could get over him." I said as I drew in a breath and crossed my arms.
April gave me a sympathetic look and walked over to me. "Caly, you love him... and I'd be foolish to think that he doesn't love you back." She said confidently. I looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? If he loved me, April, he wouldn't have pushed me away like that!" April shook her head and then fixed me with a knowing look. "Really? Because if you seriously think he doesn't feel the same about you, I'm going to call bullshit on that." I looked her in the eyes and narrowed my own. "April, he said we couldn't be together. So what do you have to say about that?"
    "He didn't say you couldn't be together, Caly." She said as she placed a hand on my shoulder. "Oh really? Then why-" She shushed me. "Shut it. You need to listen to me for a second." I scoffed and looked away from her. "Leo clearly thinks that you two shouldn't be together because he is concerned with your safety. That means he cares about you. Not to mention the fact that he specifically said, 'I can't put you at risk because of some desire I have for you'. He literally admitted that he loved you and you don't even realize it." She said with a defeated sigh. I shot my eyes back at her and shook my head back and forth.
"Whatever... I don't want to talk about this right now. Can we please go to the mall?" April sighed and then looked at my tail. "Not until that thing is taken care of. Also, what's with the dragon eyes?" I gasped and then pulled out my phone, turning on the camera, making it face me. "Oh no! I thought I got rid of those!" April looked completely confused and then I explained how earlier this morning, they had changed to the reptilian eyes and I changed them back by calming down.
"Oh... makes sense. So maybe the tail is the same?" She replied. I thought about it for a second and then closed my eyes and breathed deeply. I could do this... I focused on my steady breathing and somehow could tell the mutant features had gone away. April cheered briefly before clapping her hands happily. "Okay! Now we can go. But seriously Cal, think about everything with Leo. Sooner or later you will realize that not everything was how you thought it to be." April said and I sighed. "Sure... but enough of that. We have a girls' day ahead of us!" I called.
April nodded and grabbed her keys. I realized that I hadn't eaten my cereal and laughed. "Wait! I forgot to eat breakfast!" April laughed and then gestured to my empty bowl. "Hurry up! I want to get to the mall soon or we will have to deal with snobby Karens." She barked and I saluted her, making her snort while laughing. I made my way over to the pantry and got myself some Frosted Flakes. Mmm, my favorite... I quickly scarfed down the cereal and started hiccuping, making April laugh and make fun of me. I rolled my eyes playfully and then slapped her arm, laughing as well.
We arrived at the mall and I looked at my sister excitedly. She gave me a wide grin and pulled out her phone when we heard the familiar bird tweeting sound (her text notification). She threw her head back and started dying laughing. I raised an eyebrow and she showed me the phone. I started dying laughing as well when I saw the photo. Leo and Donnie were in the photo, and Leo was wearing the Star Wars shirt I gave him while Donnie had a disgusted look on his face.
My mind immediately was flooded with a longing for Leo and I actually felt my eyes begin to tear up. If he was trying to make me miss him, it was working. "That is a perfect representation of me and you when it comes to that darn movie." April said, still laughing. We got out of the car and April put her phone back into her pocket. We went inside the giant glass doors at the entrance of the mall and I gasped at the beautiful chandelier that hung down from the archway that led to the main stores of the mall. April shoved me playfully and I laughed.
After only like one hour, me and April had pretty much gone into 45% of the stores in the mall. There was SO much to see and do, I thought it couldn't get much better. But that thought quickly dissipated when I remembered what I was going to have done. April saw the store that did piercings and tapped on my shoulder frantically. I followed her gaze and saw it, my mouth dropping open and eyes lighting up with excitement. I looked at April and grabbed her hand, running to the store.
She laughed and I got in line to get my ear pierced. After what seemed like an eternity, it was finally my turn. I virtually jumped into the seat and picked out the exact piercing I wanted. It was a small golden hoop that would go around the top curve of my left ear. The lady who did the piercing first disinfected the area and then used a washable marker to mark the area she would pierce. I gritted my teeth as the needle went through my ear and the hoop was attached. When she was finished, I took the mirror she held out to me and looked at my reflection. I turned my head slightly and saw the piercing on my ear. I squealed excitedly and April laughed before taking a picture of me with it.
After I paid and we left the store, I saw a couple walking by, holding hands and I started to think about what had happened with me and Leo. In that exact moment, I realized that I had been wrong about everything. April had been right... Leo was only trying to protect me and I also realized that I needed to prove to him that I truly did care and would never turn away from him. I felt a tear fall down my face and my thoughts were broken when April snapped a finger in front of my face, calling my name. I shook my head and looked at her desperately. "I really screwed up." I said solemnly. April raised an eyebrow in confusion before asking what I meant.
"With Leo, I screwed up... I ran away just because of how upset I was. I didn't even think to try and understand why he was saying all of that. I understand now." April gave me another one of her signature knowing looks and she patted my back. "I knew you'd come to your senses. I wanna hear all about how youmade up when we go back on Sunday." I laughed and then hugged her. I winced when my ear hit her arm. "You okay?" She asked. "Yeah, I just hit my ear... it hurt a bit but all good now!" April smiled and then gently flicked my shoulder. "Good. We will leave on Sunday morning, so don't forget to set your alarm." I nodded and then followed April as we walked out the mall and went to her car.
    We arrived at the house and me and her ate microwaved pasta for dinner. I was so grateful to have April. She was the best sister ever... I could always count on her and she did more for me than anyone had ever before. I always felt bad when she would sacrifice her own plans for me... so I knew I needed to repay her. I had just the idea... You'll just have to wait to find out what that will be... hehe. After I took a shower, I went outside to the beach and sat on the sand, bringing my knees up and wrapping my arms around them. I sighed and gazed at the crashing waves. I thought about how everything might go down when I face Leo...
I was scared he might get really mad and not want to see me ever again. I know I had a tendency to be pretty dramatic with things so maybe I was overthinking everything. But I wasn't about to let myself think he would welcome me back without giving me a piece of his mind. However, I deserved to hear him mad at me.  I walked away and didn't even give a second thought to even trying to understand his perspective. I stood up and dusted the sand off my butt. I then transformed and spread my wings wide. I closed my eyes as the wind blew around me and a deep rumble came from my throat. I sighed and then opened my eyes, prepared to face the challenges of when we return.                                                        
The next few days went by quickly. I couldn't stop thinking about how much I missed Leo and how nervous I was to see him again. It was Sunday morning and I just finished packing all my stuff. Yesterday, I had my hair cut from my lower back to just below my chest. I got my hair a pretty balayage where the top of my white hair faded into a platinum blonde on the tips. April got some light brown highlights also that complemented her blue eyes well. I went to the kitchen and grabbed an apple. It made me smile when I remembered back to whenever the guys messed with me. April walked out of her room with a giant smile plastered on her face. "What's with you, Ms. Happy?" I asked playfully.
April walked over to me and spun me around. I laughed and she giggled as well. "I get to see Donnie is what! I am so excited! Also, where are my keys? Have you seen them?" She exclaimed. I looked around the counters and tried to find them. "No, I haven't. Wait! Go check the couch. They might be there." She nodded and went over to the couch, lifting up the pillows and sticking her hands into the cushions. I heard a jangle and looked up to see her holding them. "You sure you didn't know where they were?" She asked skeptically. I laughed and rolled my eyes playfully. "Yes, April. I'm sure." She laughed and then went back into her room to get her suitcase. "Alright. I've got my stuff... you got yours?" She asked with a raised brow. I gestured to my own suitcase and nodded. April smiled and clicked the unlock button on her key fob. "Well then, we're all set!" I smiled as well and grabbed my bag.
    After loading everything into the trunk, we got in the car and April started blasting her country music. I knew every song on the playlist, so I had no problems singing the words along with April. I had always been told that I should go on 'America's Got Talent' because of my voice by my friends at school. April herself could sing pretty well but she also always said my singing voice was 'absolutely beautiful'. However, me and April were currently singing the worst we possibly could just for the fun of it. I was laughing so hard, I swear I couldn't breathe for a few good moments. Suddenly, the automated voice from April's car said that she had an incoming call. I looked down and saw Donnie's face in the little circle that represented his contact photo. April yelped in surprise before answering the call. I gave her a sly smile and clicked the 'answer' button. "Hey April... How are you?" he asked, making his voice all grough sounding. I silently chuckled as April started to blush. "I'm good, how about you and the guys?" She responded. "I'm okay. Raph is being himself and Mikey is being Mikey. However, Leo has been training nonstop and hasn't been talking much. He hasn't been himself since you guys left. Honestly, I'm a bit worried about him." Donnie replied.
    I furrowed my brow and glanced at April with a concerned expression on my face. She smiled softly and patted my shoulder reassuringly. "Well, we are on the way back to New York. We'll come visit you and the others later this afternoon. We need to get everything settled before we can come though." She said, focusing on the road. "Okay, see you two soon. Oh, and Caly?" I shot my eyes up at the mention of my name. "Yeah?" I replied. "Leo really misses you. It's obvious he has been thinking a lot lately and I may or may not have a hunch that it's you he is thinking about." I let out a harsh breath. "Okay, I'll take note of that..." I looked out the window and propped my head against the door. April took a warily glance at me before talking to Donnie. "Okay, well thanks for the update, Don. We'll see you soon, okay?" She said with an upbeat tone. "Alright, see you then. Stay safe." He replied. "We will, you guys aswell." She hung up and sighed. "Cal, you alright?" I shrugged pathetically. "I'm just scared... I don't want to hurt him.." April huffed before reaching one hand out for mine. "Listen, sis. If I know Leonardo at all, I know he is very forgiving, understanding, and patient. Trust your instincts, you'll be fine. Just go with the flow and only do what feels right. Trust me, everything will go well if not better than you expect." I sighed and rubbed one of my eyes. "I certainly hope so..." April squeezed my knee before putting both of hands back on the steering wheel.
    We pulled into the apartment parking lot and the time read 2:15 p.m. I got out of the car and stretched my legs out. Even for a two hour ride, my legs still got cramped up easily. That's what five years straight of running five to eight miles a day for track and cross country do to you. I got mine and April's suitcases out of the trunk and set them onto the ground. We wheeled them into the apartment and I went into my room. The butterflies in my stomach started when I realized how close I was to seeing Leo again. I was so nervous... No, I can't be nervous. Why should I be? April said to just go with the flow and everything will work out... I just need to trust in myself and her words... breathe, Caly, breathe... I collapsed onto my bed and picked up my phone. I went to the text messages and my finger hovered over Leo's contact. I hesitated for a moment before deciding to not say anything and just wait until later this afternoon when me and April would go and see the brothers & Master Splinter. I groaned and put a pillow over my head, falling asleep.
    I dreamed about me in my mutant form, flying over the beach during the sunset. I could almost feel the warm wind on my skin and the smell of saltwater washing over me. But then I landed on the sand and walked into the ocean. As I looked down at the glistening water, instead of seeing just me as the mutant, I saw the other half of my face was me in my human form. I woke up suddenly when April whacked me with a pillow. "Caly! I've been calling you for the past 15 minutes! You wanna go see the guys or what?" She called. I sat up slowly and then checked the time on my phone. It was 6:30 and I realized I had been asleep for over four hours. "Sorry, sorry. I'm up. Let me put my hair up in a bun and then we can go." April nodded and then left my room. I tied my hair up and let the tendrils come down around the sides of my face. I glanced at my phone and sighed harshly. I grabbed it and slipped it into my back pocket before stretching. April called for me again and I went out of my room, meeting her in the living room. "Ready to go?" She asked. I nodded and she gave me a reassuring smile. I laughed and we made our way out the door.
    Once we got out of the apartment, we made our way down the street and made sure no one was following us or could see where we were going. April bent down to the manhole cover and I heaved in a breath. "I'm nervous, April... What if-" "Stop, Caly. You're going to be okay. I promise. Just trust yourself." She said without the slightest hint of hesitation. I nodded and helped her lift the cover. We slipped it back into place and then dropped down onto the cold, hard ground beneath us. I tried to hold my breath because the smell was so horrid. The lair itself didn't smell bad, so the sooner we got there, the better (for my nostrils at least). We made our way through the tunnels, struggling to see through the sheer darkness around us. We'd managed to get all the way to the entrance of the lair and I could hear Raph and Mikey speaking to each other about the latest weight lifting champions. But when I heard Leo's voice as he spoke to Master Splinter, I was going to try and back out. April gave me a gentle nudge with her elbow, giving me another on of her signature looks. I sucked in a breath before walking in.                          
    April was the first to go in and I followed behind her, keeping my gaze slightly down. "Hey guys!" She called out. I looked up as Mikey ran over and hugged me tightly. "Welcome back! Where'd you guys go?" He asked as he pulled away from me and then hugged April. "We went on a small trip." I responded. Donnie came up beside Mikey and studied my face for a second. "Something's different about you," He said, narrowing his eyes. I nodded and pointed to my ear. He squinted and then saw the piercing on my left ear. "Oh, I see... Looks good! Might need a little disinfecting though." He said as he pushed his glasses back up. I made a straight lined face and playfully rolled my eyes. "Okay, thanks doc." I responded. Donnie laughed before turning his attention to April and walked off with her, into his lab. Raph was training in his little workout area and Mikey had gone to eat some pizza (or at least that's what my best guess was). I looked around for Leo but didn't see him anywhere. As if on queue, Master Splinter walked past me and muttered that he was on the training platform. I nodded and then turned, walking to the training area.
    I took my steps cautiously and saw Leo training with his katanas, making "tsk" noises anytime he would thrust his blades forwards. I turned to leave but stopped when he spoke. "No point in leaving when you just got here." His voice was low and seemed to have a little simmer beneath his words. I turned my head over my shoulder, and watched as he hopped off the circular platform, sheathing his Katanas. He met my gaze and I looked down, not daring to look him directly in the eyes. "I'm sorry... About everything . . ." I said, my voice merely a whisper. When he stayed silent, I spoke again. "I should've tried to understand your opinions, but instead, I got so mad and I just shut you out." Leo turned from me and pulled out his blades again, placing them on the storage rack. "I'm sorry Leo. About it all... It was irresponsible of me, I know. Damn it, just say something... Please?" I said, my voice breaking and eyes filling with tears at the corners. He heaved in a breath before turning back to face me. "You never answered a single text or call. I started to worry about you, Caly. Ever since you left, I've been thinking about you nonstop. I couldn't stop worrying that something would happen to you. I felt so horrible because you left!" I looked up and met his gaze. My heart fluttered at the sight of his face. I felt so awful and pathetic for making him hurt. I began to cry and I slowly approached him.
    I almost hugged him but then hesitated, stepping backwards because I didn't know if that was the right move. Follow your instincts, Caly. Trust yourself, this is Leo. Trust yourself. Leo closed the gap in between us and pulled me into his strong embrace. I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on his chest. "I missed you so much . . ." He said, resting his head against mine. I nuzzled my face closer to him and breathed in, my breath shaking. "I missed you too." I responded softly, still crying. Leo brought a hand to my face and lifted gently, making me look at him. "I don't want to hurt you like that again... Will you give me a second chance, Caly?" I looked at him with a shame in my eyes. "No, I am asking for a second chance. This was my fault. I should've listened to you." I said firmly. Leo sighed before shaking his head back and forth. "Don't feel bad... we all do things we regret at some point or another." I looked up at him and drew my brows together as a grateful smile spread across my face. Leo smiled and brought his mouth to mine, kissing me. His lips were soft and warm against mine, and I could practically feel my surroundings slip away into the very back of my mind. I was only aware of Leo's every touch on my skin. His arm slid around my waist, pulling me closer while his other hand stayed on my face, cupping my cheek.
Without breaking the kiss, I hopped up and wrapped my legs around his stomach, and put my arms around his neck. Leo positioned his arms around my lower back, holding me to him. Time seemed to slow in this exact moment and I could feel his heart racing. Leo pulled away and trailed light kisses up my cheek before resting his forehead on mine. We breathed deeply, taking in this moment. I placed my head underneath his as he rested on mine, holding me a little closer. "Damn you..." He said suddenly. I looked up at him, a look of worry on my face. He met my gaze and his darn blue eyes were so deep and intense, it gave me goosebumps. "I love you, Cal. There's no doubt in my mind... I love you so much." He said with a deep voice. I searched his gaze and then got back down on the ground. Without any warning, I tackled him, kissing him playfully. He laughed and flipped me onto my back, and placed both his arms on either side of me. "You are so going to get it." I raised a brow and pursed my lips. "Oh really? Well, I doubt it'll be better than the pranks I have in store for you." Leo playfully scoffed and then tickled me on my side. I started laughing hysterically and tried to squirm away from him. "You're ticklish! Oh no way are you getting away now!" I squealed as he picked me up and kissed my cheek.
I rested my head on his chest and he looked down at me, smiling softly. I sighed and met his gaze. "I'm so sorry I left like that. I don't deserve you. I couldn't even take the time to try and understand why you thought we shouldn't be together." Leo breathed deeply and set me down. "First off, you deserve more than me at any given moment. Second, I only said we shouldn't be together because I couldn't bring myself to put you in harm's way just because of how I felt about you. Still don't want you to get hurt." I brought my hand up to his face and cupped his cheek. "You wouldn't be putting me in harm's way, Leo. I'm choosing to take the risk. I know you'll always be there for me and vice versa. Trust me, if I wasn't sure about this, I wouldn't be here right now." I said confidently. From this close, I could see a scar on the right side of Leo's face that started from his right temple and I'm guessing went over his eye aswell as it trailed under his bandana, ending on his lower cheek. Seeing it made me wonder how he had gotten it. He looked at me warmly and kissed my forehead. "Well then, will you be my girlfriend?" He asked, grinning like a dork. I laughed and nodded like a maniac. "What took you so long to ask?" I asked, making him laugh as well.
Leo pulled me close to him and kissed me softly again. I was so relieved that today had gone better than I expected. I had no doubt that Leo was going to be mad at me because of my actions. I pulled away from him and stepped back, grabbing both his hands. I noticed tattoos on his bicep and I didn't even realize I was staring until I came back to focus and saw him looking at me with a dangerous look in his eyes. Leo smiled like a dork again and raised a brow. "No, no... go ahead! Just let me know when you're finished." I blushed furiously and turned my face from him. He laughed and once I got my face under control, I led him out of the training area and we went into the main part of the lair. I wanted to go find April and tell her about everything, so I told Leo I'd be right back. He nodded and then went to find Raph for whatever reason. I spun on my heel and went to Donnie's lab. When I walked in, I was stopped dead in my tracks because my brain would be permanently scarred... April and Donnie were making out against a wall. I backed out of the room slowly and then quickly walked off to find Splinter.                                          
I walked into the little kitchen area and found him making some ramen for himself. He turned to face me and a kind look filled his eyes. "Caly, welcome back... it's good to see you again. I assume you have spoken with Leonardo, yes?" He asked. "Thank you Master Splinter, and yes, I have spoken with him." I responded, wondering where he was going with this. "Leonardo and I spoke prior to your and April's arrival. He seemed very troubled and did not have his usual clear mindset. When I spoke to my son, he shared that his mind had been taken over by something... he did not specify what. However, I have reason to believe that you are or at least were the reason for his clouded mind." I sighed and rubbed the side of my face with the palm of my hand. "I really screwed up with him a few weeks ago... I feel so horrible about it even now that we've made up." Splinter sighed and put down his ramen. "You have to find it in yourself to move on. Dwelling on our pasts and mistakes can always trap our minds, making it difficult to focus and complete the tasks at hand efficiently." I looked up at him and nodded in understanding.
Splinter picked up his bowl of ramen and started to walk away but as he passed me, he patted my shoulder reassuring me that everything was okay. As I stood there, I crossed my arms and let out a slow breath. April walked out of Donnie's lab and was blushing furiously. I raised my eyebrows and a sly smile took over my face. She caught sight of me and ran over, hugging me tightly. "So, how'd it go with Donnie?" I asked, chuckling. April looked around her and made sure that no one else was in earshot of us. "Me and Donnie are going to try to be together... I hope that everything goes well. But anyways, how about you and Leo?" I smiled and sighed happily. "You were right... Everything had worked out better than I had anticipated. I still feel really bad about everything though." April bumped her hip against mine and smiled. "You shouldn't worry about it anymore. You two made up and I'm guessing are together now?" I smiled to myself and nodded. "Yeah. Now about you and Donnie..." A terrorized look crossed her face when I told her about how I had just walked into her and him making out. I started dying laughing at her expression and she started blushing furiously again. April slapped my arm, making me yelp and I felt something change on my head.
As I reached up, April gasped and quickly covered the blue ears sticking out from the sides of my head. "Caly! What the heck? Why do you keep growing dragon parts?" I covered my eyes and shook my head back and forth. "Not a dragon! But I don't know! It's like my mutant form is infecting my human form! It started with my hair, and now it's just random things." I said frantically. April sighed and got back after looking around, making sure none of the brothers or Splinter could see me. She gave me a defeated look and I sighed. "I don't know why this is happening, April. I can't control it." I said as I glanced at her with a worried expression. "Don't worry, Caly... maybe we could get Donnie to help." I was about to respond when Donnie suddenly appeared. "I heard my name. What's up with the ears?" I widened my eyes and flattened my ears, then put my hands over them. "Caly, are you a furry?" He asked, amusing himself. I narrowed my eyes and gritted my teeth. "Not funny, dude... Not funny at all." He laughed and April elbowed him playfully. "No but seriously, does someone need my geniusness?" Donnie asked arrogantly. I rolled my eyes and scoffed. "No, as a matter of a fact, you can leave." April hit me and then turned back to Donnie. "Actually, we do need your help. Cal has been having problems with her human form." I groaned and hit my head on the table in annoyance. Donnie raised a brow as he looked at me and pulled a chair up beside me, sitting down. "Can I take a look?" He asked, a curious glint in his eyes.
I lowered my hands and kept my head on the table and my ears stayed flat against my head. "Caly, you need to raise your ears if you want me to help." Donnie said with a tinge of annoyance. I exhaled sharply and raised them. He then gingerly felt around my ears and took a small sample of the shiny scales on the back of each ear. I cringed as he plucked them. "Ouch, Donnie! Geez, what are you even doing?" He placed the samples into two separate tubes and then shook them in some clear liquid. "Taking some specimens... I might be able to see the cellular makeup and might be able to come up with some conclusion. It all depends..." Donnie said matter-of-a-factly. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. I heard him whisper, "What is she doing?" to April. "I'm trying to get rid of the ears." I responded, keeping my eyes closed. I relaxed my entire body and then I felt the ears go away. When I opened my eyes, Donnie was staring at my head with wide eyes. "That... that was... intriguing." I couldn't help but laugh at his shocked expression and April began laughing when he quickly got up and hurried back to his lab. "I think you freaked him out, Caly." She said, giggling. I wiped the tears from my eyes that formed from how hard I was laughing just a few moments.
Leo came up behind me and smacked my bun playfully, making it fall down. My hair fell down over my shoulders and the light showed the balayage in my hair. I looked back at him and smiled when I saw his expression. I looked from him to April and laughed. She laughed as well and then I mouthed the words, "Watch this...". She nodded and while Leo was distracted by something off in the distance, I went to the fridge and put whipped cream on my hand. I then turned and went back to Leo, tapping his shoulder. He turned around and looked at me with a raised brow. I brought the hand that had no whipped cream in it around his neck and gently pulled his head down, getting ready to kiss him. As he closed his eyes, I quickly pulled back and smeared the whipped cream all over his face. Leo took a surprised step back and when he realized what I had done, I pulled out my phone, taking a picture. April started dying laughing and Leo looked at me with a wild look in his eyes. He picked up a towel and wiped the whipped cream off his face while maintaining eye contact with me through narrowed eyes.
His ice blue gaze was full of intensity and danger... I frantically looked over at April and she gestured for me to run. I turned my attention back to Leo and he slowly put down the towel, then took a small step towards me. I backed up a bit and April yelled for me to run. I bolted around Leo and tried to get around to the entrance of the lair. I threw my head over my shoulder for a split second because I heard heavy footsteps behind me. He was right on my tail, keeping up with no issues. I flicked my eyes around, trying to find an escape route. I got an idea... Leo sprinted to try and catch me, so I made a straight line dash to the spare room. Before he came in, I turned off the light and hid behind the door. I heard his footsteps as he quietly entered. "You just made a big mistake, Caly. The shadows are where me and my brothers have lived our entire lives." I held my breath and stayed as still as possible. I saw a very faint silhouette making its way to where the bed was. I knew it was Leo, so I crouched down and crawled to him. He took a step back and then stayed still for a second. I got up behind him and yelped when he suddenly turned around, grabbing my arms and pinning me down on the bed.
Mikey walked in and turned on the lights. Both me and Leo turned and looked at him at the exact same time. Mikey's jaw dropped and he looked from Leo to me and then back to Leo. "Wha-?" He couldn't even muster a sentence. I blushed furiously before Leo let me up and I stood up quickly. "Mikey, it's not what you think! I swear! No, no no! Don't go, let me explain!" Mikey quickly turned around and hurried out of the room. I brought my hand to my forehead and Leo let out a harsh breath. "What does he even think we could've been doing?" He asked. I lowered my hand and raised my head real slowly before turning to face him. "Are you actually for real? Tell me you're kidding." He looked at me with an expectant look and I widened my eyes. "You're not kidding." I muttered. Leo raised a brow. "Why would I be kidding? I legitimately don't know what he tho-" A look of pure realization and horror crossed his face as he stood completely still before becoming flustered. I crossed my arms tightly around myself and started to realize how painfully awkward things were right now. After a few agonizing minutes of pure silence, Leo suddenly spoke. "I think I'm just gonna go train more... see you when you um- see me again? God, I don't know. Just-" I glanced up at him for a moment and nodded. "Yup. Will do... see you then!"
After Leo had left the room to go train or whatever, I went out of the room and shot Mikey an irritated look. He held his hands up in surrender and I rolled my eyes before going to find April. I stopped again when I saw Donnie standing in front of her with his hands on either side of her face, kissing her. What is with these two? Maybe get a room? I went to the fridge and got myself a random orange, pretending not to notice them. I heard April whack Donnie and then he suddenly stood up and cleared his throat, obviously thinking I hadn't seen them. "Caly, hello. Uh, where'd you come from?" He asked suddenly. I chuckled to myself before turning around and facing them. "I was about to get it from Leo because I had pranked him until Mikey walked in at the worst time and thought we had or were... doing things..." I said, cringing at the thought. Donnie looked perplexed and looked from me to April. "Wait. What things?" I choked on the orange for a second before looking at him with a wild look in my eyes. "Why does no one ever understand what I am saying?" April caught on to what I was saying and she started dying laughing. Donnie quickly turned his head to her and raised a brow before gesturing to me. "What is she talking about?" April told Donnie to lean down and she whispered what I meant to him.
His eyes widened and then he looked back at her and then at me. "Why would Mikey think that?" I slapped my forehead and let out a slow breath. "He pinned me on the bed because I had snuck up on him from behind. The light was turned off so I could get behind him without him seeing me. Mikey walked in and turned on the lights, seeing us like that." I said, trailing my hand off my face. Donnie narrowed his eyes and then turned to Mikey as he sat on the couch, watching TV. I sighed and sat down on a chair, rolling my eyes at the sight of Mikey. April patted my back and I smiled softly at her when we both started laughing.. Raph came into the kitchen and went to the fridge, looking at me over his shoulder. When I briefly met his gaze, he winked and I made the most unamused face I could muster. Donnie looked from me to Raph and then elbowed him before whispering something to him. Raph nodded and mouthed to Donnie that he already knew because Leo told him. I got up at that moment and transformed before making my way to the water entrance. "Caly, what's with the sudden dragon? Where are you going?" April asked with a tinge of concern in her voice.
"Don't worry... I'm just going for a little flight. I'll be back soon, don't worry." She sighed before smiling softly. "Okay, have fun. See you when you get back! Also, stay safe... okay?" I lowered my head to her and she placed her forehead against mine. I then opened my eyes and turned back to the water. I started to step down into it before April called out my name one more time. "Wait! What about Leo?" I turned my head to face her with a confused look on my face. "What about him?" I asked, cocking my head to the side. "Is there anything I should tell him before you leave?" I flattened my ears and looked down. "I... No, there isn't. It's a bit awkward right now, so I am just going to let things settle." She gave me an exasperated look before nodding and taking a few steps back. I looked at her for a few seconds longer and then turned back to the water. April called out one last time and I sighed. "Yes, April?" I said, as my ears went out to the sides. "Can I come too?" I exhaled harshly and then turned back to her. I hated letting her down but I knew I needed some time to myself. "Next time, I promise... Now can I please go?" April smiled and waved me off. I dove under the water and swam to the river.
Once I got there, I swam to the surface and spread my wings, flapping hard to get myself out of the water. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon and tinged the clouds with a delicate pink and purple hue. As I hovered over the surface of the water, I looked up at the clouds, wondering if I could even go that high. Welp... I have time to myself right now, so why not give it a try? I narrowed my eyes and began flying straight up. It was a lot of work, requiring me to thrust my wings harder and harder. Each downward stroke propelled me high into the sky and as I reached the base of the clouds, I gritted my teeth in concentration. Almost there... Just a little more! Keep going! I then bursted through the clouds and my eyes widened as I saw the view around me. I flapped my wings one last time, propelling me upwards above the clouds and folded my wings slightly in. I reached out my front paw, reaching above me before falling straight down. I felt the air rushing around me as I fell. I quickly turned face down and dove directly through the clouds, rocketing back towards the ground. The surface came closer and closer to me as I dove further and further down. Right before I could make contact with the river, I spread my wings wide and leveled myself out.
My heart was racing and I had never felt so alive. I glided along the river and shot through the air quickly. I flew close to the water and reached my paw down, letting it drift seamlessly through the cold current of the river. I breathed in deeply and made myself climb higher into the air. I looked down and gasped at how high I was. I started to breathe heavily and felt the sudden urge to land. I flew back down to the top of the apartment building and landed 'gracefully' onto the roof. I took in deep breaths and looked at my outstretched wings. I couldn't explain the feeling I got when I was above those clouds... it was almost like I was free and all of my problems just washed away. I sat down and folded my wings, panting in the process. I watched as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon and made way for the moon to rise. I realized I had never sat and watched as the sun disappeared to make way for the rising moon. It was truly beautiful and humbling. The moon rose slowly and although difficult to see through the polluted city air, I could make out the faint lights of the not so distant stars. I raised my neck higher and closed my eyes, taking in the world around me. These moments to myself were just what I needed whenever I needed to clear my mind. I slowly breathed out before laying down. I lowered my head and rested it on my crossed front paws. My tail curled around me and I started to drift off to sleep...
I jolted awake suddenly when I heard a faint thump. I quickly raised my head and searched the darkness around me. I then flattened my ears and narrowed my eyes, growling deeply. If someone came to capture me, they were about to find out just who they were messing with. I stood up slowly and took on a low stance by lowering my head and spreading my wings. I stalked slowly towards the direction of the noise I had just heard. I growled again and my ears perked up when another crash came from behind me. I slowly looked around and then closed my eyes, remaining still. I planted my feet firmly on the ground. Suddenly, I heard a weapon unsheathe and then I slammed my tail into whoever was around me, knocking them to the ground. I heard a deep groan and quickly turned around to the silhouette of the person on the ground. I pinned them with both of my paws and bared my teeth, snarling menacingly. "Who are you and what do you want? You have three seconds." I said, demanding an answer. "Cal?" I heard a familiar voice say. I leaned in a little closer and realized that the person I had pinned was none other than Leonardo. I stopped growling and immediately let him up. "Leo? What the frick were you thinking? Why would you sneak up on me like that? I was about to bite your freaking head off!" I whispered angrily. He stood up and clutched his stomach before responding. "I was patrolling the city! I thought you were one of the idiots from Shredder." He fired back. "That makes two of us." I muttered under my breath. I sighed and noticed him holding onto his torso. "Are you hurt?" "Uh, did you not feel yourself hit me with your tail?" He asked sarcastically. I pushed my ears back and slowly lowered my head to him. "I'm sorry, but you attacked me! What was I supposed to do? Let you impale me with your Katana?" I said sarcastically. He scoffed before sheathing his sword. "Okay, I see your point. What are you doing out here?" I sighed and sat down. "I went for a flight... I needed to clear my mind."
The growing light from the moon allowed me to see his face. He raised a brow and crossed his arms. "Needed to clear your mind or get away from the chaos?" Leo asked. I exhaled and looked at the passing cars below. "A little bit of both, actually." I said softly. "I figured..." He said and I looked back at him, cocking my head. "Well, enough said about me... why are you out here alone?" He glanced away from me and at this moment seemed hesitant to answer the question. I flicked my tail back and forth, waiting for him to answer. "I told you. I was patrolling the area." I narrowed my eyes at him and he looked at me through a side glance. Leo sighed and dropped his arms before turning to face me. "It doesn't matter... don't worry about it." He said as he met my gaze. "Well fine then, be mysterious." I said, sounding irritated. "Moving on from that topic, are you actually okay? Where I hit you, I mean." He nodded before smirking a bit. "Yeah, I'm fine. You got me pretty good though. That tail of yours could do some serious damage if you're not careful." There he goes again, being his sarcastic yet charming self. I snorted and turned my gaze from him, pretending to be aggravated. Leo sighed and then turned from me, walking to the edge of the roof and leaning against the chimney there. He looked out and watched the cars as they zoomed by.
I could definitely feel something was off with him. He clearly was thinking deeply about something. I changed back to my human form and got up off the ground, dusting myself off. I walked over near him and gave him a side hug. "I'm here if you need me, okay?" I said, trying to sound as supportive as I could. I looked up at his face and saw him smile softly. Leo wrapped his arm around me and tilted his head on top of mine. "I know... and same for you, always." He whispered. We stood there for a couple of minutes, just watching the world around us go by. I liked how it felt to be in a moment of peace with Leo. I knew deep down that I should just let whatever was wrong be and respect his boundaries, but I admit, it was difficult...
I heard another crashing noise from behind us and Leo quickly drew his Katana, pushing me behind him and turning to face the direction of the sound. "Stay behind me." He ordered quietly before taking a cautious step forward. He inched his way closer and I followed closely behind him. I suddenly heard footsteps behind me and turned around. When I saw the faint silhouette of someone running towards Leo, I transformed and blocked the person from getting to him. I spread my wings and lowered my head, pulling my ears back and growling deeply. I used my tail to pull Leo closer to me and then heard a sword unsheathe. He yelled for me to watch out as something whizzed by my face and hit a nearby wall with a "clang". I hissed and then took on a low stance, watching for movement around me. The person ran directly at me and jumped onto my back. I frantically flopped onto my side, trying to get them off. Leo ran over and tackled the person on top of me, pinning them down with one knee and placing his hands on their arms. He narrowed his eyes and breathed heavily. "Who are you?" He demanded.
A car drove past and lit up the person's face. We both gasped as her face appeared before us. "Oh, you don't remember me? How sad..." I got up and growled deeply again. "Karai..." I said with disgust. She laughed before looking at me. "Oh look at that. The mutant can speak... still up for joining Shredder?" She asked sarcastically. I hissed before coming close to her and lifted my paw to slam her face in. Leo held up his arm and turned to face me. "No, Caly, wait. We might be able to get information from her." I slid my eyes over to him and narrowed them. "Fine..." I said through gritted teeth. Leo looked at me reassuringly before turning back to Karai. "Let me up, would you?" She asked with an irritated tone. I glared at her before speaking to Leo. "Let her up, but if she attacks, I won't hesitate to end things right then." I said darkly. Leo hesitated before getting up and I walked up to his side. Karai to her feet and sheathed her sword before turning to me and crossing her arms. "Why are you here, Karai? What do you want?" Leo asked. She huffed and rolled her eyes. "That's a good question... why am I here?" She responded. "Stop playing around, Karai. I'll give you ten seconds to start talking." Leo shot back at her, sounding irritated.
I folded my ears back and started to feel the wild side of me trying to take over. I started shaking my head violently. No, not now! I have to keep control! Just breathe... I scrunched my eyes together and brought my head down, snarling. Leo turned from Karai and ran over to me, placing a hand on my neck. "Caly? Caly, are you alright? Can you hear me?" He asked I breathed rapidly, taking in shallow breaths. I looked up at him and he took one look at my eyes before stepping back cautiously. Karai stood there with her arms crossed and smiled arrogantly at me. I felt sudden anger coursing through my body. I raised my head and bared my teeth, looking directly at her. Leo looked from me to Karai and cursed under his breath. He turned to Karai and yelled for her to leave.
She laughed and then jumped off the roof. I wasn't going to let her get away that easily. I started to run towards the edge of the building and Leo suddenly jumped in front of me, blocking the way. I growled at him and spread my wings. "Cal, listen! You need to regain control! Focus! You have wild eyes again! Please, try to calm down!" I looked down at him and then lowered my wings. I closed my eyes, and faltered back. I breathed in and out, steadying myself. I changed back to my human form and collapsed onto my hands and knees.
Pain flooded my entire body and I winced when I fell down. He quickly came over to me and got down on his knees. "Are you alright? Can you stand?" He asked frantically. I swallowed and then looked up at him. "I lost control again," I said, panting. "I think it is triggered by my emotions. Every time I lash out, I seem . . . angry right before." I managed to choke out those last words. "Maybe Donnie could figure out something to help you?" Leo suggested. I sighed and then nodded. "Maybe." He put my arm around his neck and wrapped his other arm around my waist, helping me to stand. "We need to get back. That was a close call... way too close." He said seriously.
"Leo, I want to show you something..." He looked at me and raised a brow. "Let me stand, please." I said, glancing up at him. "Caly, I don't think-" I gave him a reassuring look and he sighed before carefully letting me go. I eased myself up and then transformed. "What are you doing?" He asked suddenly. I looked from him and then up at the dark midnight sky. "We are going stargazing." I said softly. Leo looked up at me, an unsure look passing through his eyes. "Just trust me, okay?" I asked as I lowered my head to him. He looked down and smiled before walking over to my back and sitting right next to the base of my neck. "Hold on tight and please do your best to not flip out. I really don't feel like having to dive down and get you." I said quickly, remembering back to how scared April had first been. "Are you kidding? If you think I am scared of heights, then you'd be very, very wrong." He said, letting out a hearty laugh. "Okay, whatever you say... Now hold on!" I began to call. "Wait! Are you even strong enough to fly?" He asked seriously. I wheeled my neck around and gave him a look that clearly said, "Are you serious right now?". "Okay, holding on now..." He said, clamping his mouth shut. I snorted and turned around, facing forward again. I took a deep breath and spread my wings.
With one flap, we took off and I soared over the city streets. Leo looked down as I flew over the city and we saw all the lights from the busy traffic going through the city. We glided over the many buildings and thanks to my deep blue coloration, no one could see us. Leo jousted his hands up and exclaimed, "WHOOHOO!" multiple times.
I slyly looked back at him and he gave me a dorky grin. I rolled my eyes and then told him to hold on as I started pumping my wings harder, making us climb higher into the air. My goal here was to get above the clouds again and show Leo the stars without the polluted air now that I knew I was capable of such a thing. I started to feel tired but I kept going, pushing myself to go farther and farther until we bursted through the clouds.
I let out a gasp for air and leveled us out. Leo sat up and looked around at the glowing sky. The stars from up here were absolutely beautiful... nothing could compare to how they looked right now... the once dark sky was now lit up by vibrant blue and white stars. The pale full moon shone like a silvery claw in the night sky. We looked up at the blanket of stars that stretched to infinity. Back on the ground of the city, the stars were nowhere near as clear and almost were never this bright and brilliant.
Leo gazed at the sky around us and the stars made his blue eyes all that much deeper and beautiful. I glided over the clouds and gazed at the stars myself. I closed my eyes and felt the wind blowing past me. Leo gasped and I turned to him, eyes wide. "Caly! Your scales! They are glowing!" I flicked my eyes from him to my wings and rest of my body. All along my body, were a line of scales that were glowing a deep cerulean blue. I gasped and looked back at Leo. His eyes were full of awe and wonder. The line of scales traveled up my neck and went under & around my eyes, ending near the base of my snout.
"You look so beautiful..." He said, his face lit up by the night sky. Leo's eyes traveled up to my face and he smiled softly. I know it wasn't physically possible for me to become flustered in this form, but I could tell I would most definitely be if I were human right now. I shyly looked away from him and took a deep breath. "Thank you... you don't look too bad yourself." I suddenly responded, my voice almost a whisper. He laughed and held onto me as we descended back down through the clouds.
When I gently landed down in the alleyway where the guys would usually exit out of the sewers, Leo hopped off of me and took a few steps back, still taking in my glowing scales. I took a step towards him and lowered my head, leveling my turquoise gaze with his. He reached up and stroked the side of my face gently. I closed my eyes and let the low rumble come out of me. I breathed out slowly and changed back. I then threw my arms around Leo, holding him to me tightly. He laughed and wrapped his arms around me. "We need to get some rest. Thanks for taking me up there to see the stars. They were absolutely beautiful... like you." I looked up at him and saw a deep, warm look in his eyes. I wanted to cry at how happy I felt, but pushed those feelings aside. I then reached up and kissed his cheek before putting my forehead against his.
We went into the sewer and Leo followed closely behind me. I still felt the longing to ask him about earlier and if he was okay, but I kept my mouth shut. We quietly entered the lair and Leo put his Katanas up on the storage rack. He then took off his mask and hung it right underneath his swords. I turned back to the storage rack because I was going to put up my Tachi, but I saw Leo without his mask and tripped, falling onto the ground. "Sorry! Are you alright?" He helped me up and I nodded slowly, gazing at him like a dork. He raised a brow and smiled. "What? Never seen a super handsome mutant turtle without a mask before?" I blushed and then smiled, slapping his arm playfully. "Actually, no, I haven't. But what makes you so sure I find you attractive?" I asked, raising my own brow and smiling slyly. Leo opened his mouth to answer and then looked puzzled. I laughed at his expression and then shoved him gently. "I'm just messing with you. Honestly, you look adorable." I said smiling. He playfully scoffed and then brought me into another hug. "Like I said before, we need rest... you especially. I love you, and sleep well." I smiled softly and held him a bit tighter. "Love you too, and you do the same." I chuckled before muttering that he was so cute under my breath. "Am not!" He shot back at me, making me laugh.