Daylight

Vines

After Donnie tells S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. about what happened with the librarian, he heads downstairs to have some breakfast. He pours himself a bowl of cereal, and asks where his brothers are.

"Mikey insisted that they go get stuff for dinner, and I told them you'd like it if they got pepperoni pizza. They're also playing basketball. Raph said not to get you because-"

"When will they be back?"

"Two hours."

Perfect.

That should give him enough time to go get the ingredients. After he finishes his breakfast, heads back to his room, puts his hoodie on, and opens the book to the page with the list. He takes it out and puts it in his pocket, then puts his battle shell on.

Donnie looks at the list.

"You can get some of those from the hidden city," S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N mentions.

"How do you know that?"

"When we went down to Hueso's, there were people who sold most of the ingredients you need."

"Most?"

"All of them but that one, at the bottom."

There's a picture of some green leaves on a vine.

"I remember those. They're at the botanical garden," Donnie said, getting up.

"I'm going to the hidden city first."

---

Slipping in between yokai in the city, looking around for the ingredients he needs, the bright lights flashing around him, it's overwhelming.

It's loud. It's in his face.

It's stressful.

Donnie spots one of the last ingredients he needs from the city before he can head to the garden. He walks over to the tent, almost tripping over people's feet. "Get outta the way!" People shout as he passes.

The person running the tent is short but muscular, a bright neon green with black markings all over. He's wearing what looks like something a fisherman would wear. Donnie interrupts his conversation with another yokai. "Hey!"

He turns around. "What can I get you?"

"That," Donnie says as he points to an orange and pink looking berry.

"Only that? Hm. Okay, one silver coin each."

Donnie passes over three coins he had gotten from Hueso the last time he was here.

Donnie takes three of the berries and puts them in a bag, then rushes back up to the surface.

I hate when it's busy here.

Crowds, pushing, pulling, yelling. Some people in hidden corners fighting and cussing each other out.

"It's not all about you!"

Donnie snaps his head to where the voice came from. Two people in red and blue, yelling at each other about who knows what.

It reminds him of his brothers.

Donnie shakes his head and quickly hurries to leave.

----

The turtle slips into the botanical garden. There isn't anyone there, no kids, adults, workers, nobody.

It's completely empty.

Sometimes he thinks he'd love to be a normal human kid, to look around this place during the day and learn and teach other people about the plants.