A Christmas Carol (Tmnt 2012 version)

S T A V E T H R E E

The Second Of The Three Spirits

A bell tolls once more.

Leo sits up and looks around, looking at the place where the last spirit had appeared, but nothing showed. He waited. He waited half an hour and yet nothing had shown up. He grumbled and stood up, dusting himself off. Until suddenly a golden light began to shine in the door in front of Leo. Through the cracks and blinding gold light seeped itself into Leo's chamber, suddenly a soft laugh was heard on the other side. Out of no where the door opened and the bright golden light burned Leo's eyes, causing him to raise a hand. "Enter, Leo!" A voice echoed, Leo glances behind his hand before finally putting it down, his eyes had now adjusted to the light. With cautious steps he enters through the door, inside was a warm fireplace with a blazing flame, with strange clocks as tall as a man stand spinning, pine garlands hung from the wall with red bows attached to them.

In the corner a mountain of festive foods give the appearance of a Christmas tree. A giant robot sit perched on top of it, holding a brilliant torch, holding a massive green gown and a holly crown he looks down at the turtle, "come in! Come in and know me better, man!" The robot laughed, "I am the ghost of Christmas Present. My brothers call me Fugitoid. Look upon me!" Fugitoid leaned towards Leo.
Despite being in the far corner Leo still jumped, the spirit laughed once more, "you have never seen the likes of me before?" Fugitoid put a hand on his chest, Leo sidles away from the door and awkwardly swings his arms.

"Never." The turtle answered honestly "Have never walked forth with my elder brothers?" The robot looking spirit asked once again, "I-I don't think that I have. You have many brothers?" Leo's voiced shakes. The spirit chortles and slaps his knee, "more than 1,800! 1,842, to be exact." The spirit leaned over towards the shaken masked turtle. "Oh." Leo mustered a small forced smile and eyes the ghost. "I see you wear a scabbard, but no sword." Leo mentioned, the Leonardo Hamato had always had a thing with swords and their specialties, so seeing this.. confused him. The ghost lifts up his empty scabbard and peers into inside, "indeed. And then Fugitoid shrugged "peace on Earth. Goodwill towards men." Fugitoid spoke proudly, no sword means peace. Leo bowed his head submissively "Spirit, conduct me where you will. I went forth last night on compulsion, and I learned a lesson which is working now. Tonight if you have aught to teach me, let me profit by it." Leo raised his eyes to meet Fugitoid's.

The spirit laughed. Hard. Before grabbing one end of his tied belt and leaning his arm down towards Leo, the a golden light the belt magically lengthens and reaches Leo's height and halting. With hesitation Leo confidently walked towards the belt and takes a carful hold of it, wrapping it around his palm for extra protection and grip. Suddenly a shower of golden sparks shoot up the belt like a golden fuse, Leo lifts his gaze to follow them. The sparks reach the peak of the mountain of food and the heaped feast melts away in an amount of light. The mountain was now smaller and the spirit reminded sitting of what was left. The spirit sweeps his torch and then blows on it over Leo's head. The flames flared onto the ground and began to melt the wooden floor, making a huge hole showing the lower floor of Leo's mansion. Leo, clutching the belt backs away from the edge of the hole. Suddenly the environment moves and they are out in the snow covered streets, but the room moved along with the scenery. The movement caused Leo to be pushed over, but when his foot landed on the hole it was as though it was solid glass.

"Very strange." Mumbled Leo as he gazed down, "indeed. Not many mortals are granted a heavenly perspective of man's world." Replied the spirit. "Yes." Was all that Leonardo could muster out. Suddenly the floor and building zooms over the city streets and it halts over two flat roofs with a narrow alley between them, two groups of tenants have a snowball fight over the alley. Leo beams down at them, a smile growing on his face. Once again the hall floats forward and gathers speed winding down narrow streets, it reaches an elegant brick building and darts onward.
Revealing the towering spire of a church, Leo points at the cross and the hall hovers over the spire. Leo watched as dozens of worshipers stream inside. The scene changes for they can see the beauty of the spire next to the rising sun, Leo chuckled excitedly, "it's quiet beautiful." Leo grinned. The ghost aims his torch and the room whizzes forward. Skimming over the ice covered rooftops of st. Paul's cathedral, it dashed past buildings with smoke steaming from the chimneys then flys over a walkway connecting two building together. Thrusting his torch sideways the spirit turns the room to face a bakery, he lifts his torch and the room rises, it hovers over the skylight as people bustle around ovens. "Spirit, these poor people have no means to cook their food. And yet you seek to close the only places in which they can warmth their meager meals, every seventh day." Leo rambled, Fugitoid jerks his torch forward and the room jolts upward, Leo stumbles than crawl's over to grab Fugitoids belt, "Hear me, Leonardo." Leo gazes up at the giant robot. "There are some upon this earth of yours who claim to know me and my brothers. And do their deeds of ill will and selfishness in our name. These so-called 'men of the cloth' are as strange to me and my kin as if they never lived. Charge their doings to them, not us." The spirit explained, "aye. I will." Leo looked down with guilt ridden in his dark blue eyes. The transparent floor shows a line outside the bakery and then two small children skid to a stop "smell that?" A young girl sniffed, "cooking goose!" The young girl cheered "come on!" The boy pulled at the girls arm and they both ran off.
The spirit then made the room follow after the children before forcing the room back above the rooftops and descends to an apartment building.
Fugitoid waves his torch and sparks came sprinkling off of it, dissolving the snow before going through the wooden roof and into the room. Where they see the two children rush inside the building and into a kitchen. "I'm take it this bleak paupers' dwelling is of some significance." Leo hummed "It is all your loyal clerk can afford for his meager 15 bob a week." The robot looking spirit replied.
"Mother! Papa!" The boy and girl screamed "mother we just came by the baker shop! And smelled our goose, cooking delicious." The boy and girl shared they sentences before the mother came rushing in "shut the door, please. What happened to your precious farther? And your brother? And Martha! She wasn't as late last Christmas Day!" The mother; April panicked. "Mother! Here she is mother! Here's Martha!" The girl cried as she saw her oldest sister coming home from work. "Martha! Wait till you see our goose! 'Tis a wonderful one." The young boy happily announced. "Peter, off with you to the bakers and collect the bird. And take the children with you and pray, no dallying." April said as she pushed her oldest son towards the door, Peter put on his coat and led the youngest's to the bakery. "Why bless your heart alive! Dear, how late you are!" April walked towards Mather and pecked her on the cheek. "We had a deal of work to finish up last night and clear away this morning." Martha explained, "never mind. Long as you're here. Sit ye down before the fire and have a warm oh bless you." April rubbed her warm hands on Martha's cold and bitter ones, "no no no no! There's farther coming! You must hide. Hide Martha!" Martha's sister about 2 years younger begged her older sister. Leo frowns, the spirit; who's body is beginning to rust, slapped his torch on Leo's head.
Donnie returns home holding a young boy on his shoulders, the young boy holding a crutch. "It's cold out there." Donnie chuckled, "hello father! Hello Timmy!" One of Timmy's older sister welcomed. Donnie looked around and noticed his oldest daughter wasn't there "why where's our Martha?" Donnie asked, "uh.. not coming." April replied as she hurried off, "not coming? Not coming upon Christmas Day?" Donnie had sadness upon his eyes, until suddenly Martha jumps from her hiding space "here I am farther!" Martha laughed, Donnie turned around with a jump before a large smile spread across his face, he held onto his oldest daughters hands, "we got you farther!" One of the sisters laughed.