TMNT 4Ever

Chapter 8: Camp

~At night...~

We've set up camp by the edge of the lake earlier. We were all gathered around the campfire while Brock was making a stew.

"Dinner's almost ready." Brock smiled.

I relaxed with Leo as Celebi was asleep soundly in my chest fur. "Sleep well my fairy friend." I spoke softly to it and gave it a wolf kiss. "It smells really good Brock. You'll have to teach me how to do stew in the woods."

"It'll be a pleasure."

I wagged my tail. "You know, it's been a very long time since we've last been asleep in the forest. Right Leo?" I looked at him.

"Yeah. During our special training since we've saved New York from the Kraang invasion." he said.

"Well, it's a lucky thing that they're gone for good." Raph said as he held Akira close to him.

"What he said." Akira said as she was holding Pikachu and stroking him.

"Pika." he sounded out.

"Pikachu really likes you Akira." Ash smiled at her.

She giggled. "I'm glad. And I like him too." she said as she continued to stroke him.

"So guys, about the future where you live at... what's it like?" Misty asked.

"Well, there are lots of things that you can find and eat there. Some food there that you've never tried before." Donnie said.

"Like pizza and ice cream and gyoza." Mikey went on.

"And technology too like computers and phones."

"The future over there sounds pretty cool." Ash said.

"Dinner's ready." Brock said as he was serving each of us a bowl of his stew with some bread.

"Guess we're gonna have to get used to this stuff again huh guys?" Mikey said sadly. "I miss home."

"Yeah. Me too." Akira said as well.

"We all miss home. But now that we have Celebi back with us, it'll bound to bring us back to the right place and right time where we belong." Donnie said.

"But in its own time. We can't rush it into bringing us back." I said softly as I stroked Celebi gently. "It was hurt before and the lake did its magic. Now it needs to rest." I said softly as I gave it affectionate wolf kisses at the top of its head.

"You really care about Celebi huh Aqua?" Ash asked me.

"Of course. I made a vow to it that I would always protect it from harm's way."

"Like a mom."

"Yeah. Like my mom." I blushed softly.

"Mine too."

"But... I feel like most of this was my fault." I looked down at the stew.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean if only I didn't see the light that night, then none of this wouldn't be happening."

"What? No Aqua, it's okay. Don't ever think that it's your fault."

"Ash is right. You knew Celebi was in trouble since the first night. And you went out of your way to help it. And I don't blame you that we're stuck in this time." Leo said.

"I agree with Leo." Donnie nodded.

"Yeah. Even though we're stuck here, we're all here together." Mikey smiled.

"Can't believe I'm saying this, but they're right sis. You did the right thing." Akira said.

"Umm ditto." Raph shrugged.

"Heck, I would do the same thing too." Ash chuckled.

"Trust me, Leo always tries to play the hero by doing it alone." Akira chuckled.

"That's true. Until Aqua told me to stop doing that. And trust me, she gets mad." Leo chuckled.

"Like really mad. Even more madder than me." Raph laughed. "Like that time during the first Kraang invasion when you jumped out of the TCRI building?"

"Wow. Really Raph? That far?"

"Seriously, I slapped him more than 5 times to the face to stop doing that." I laughed softly.

"And then 5 more times when he sunk to the bottom of the sea with the Technodrome." Mikey laughed. "His face was red when we came back."

"Seriously. I have to put this one on a leash."

"A very short one." Akira laughed.

Ash laughed. "We all take pretty unnecessary risks sometimes. Mostly me."

"Like all the time." Misty laughed.

"Agreed. You and Leo are definitely alike." Brock said.

"Are not." Leo and Ash said that line at the same time.

We all laughed at all the memories we were sharing with each other. "Thanks guys. You always know what to say to make me feel better. And I feel even much better thanks to our new human friends too." I looked at Ash, Misty, and Brock.

"It was nothing." Ash shrugged.

"This is actually the first time that I've traveled with mutants like you guys. You're so different but we're so alike in a totally different way." Brock said.

"Most humans back home see us as monsters but we're just misunderstood in many ways possible." Donnie explained. "And if we didn't exist there, then the humans would've been eradicated a very long time ago by now."

"Seriously. We've seen the end of the world like a million times." Mikey said.

"And we always have to save the world at the end when nobody else could." Raph said.

"Sometimes it happens to us too." Ash nodded. "Like when this Pokémon named Entei kidnapped my mom that was taking the place of this little girl's father in spirit."

"That definitely sounds like a cool adventure." Mikey said.

"Or that time we helped out another Pokemon named Mewtwo to save the paradise he calls home." Brock added.

"Man. All these memories that we're sharing together, we're all one and the same. And we're growing closer by the minute that passes by." I looked up at the sky. "We're all different by age and species, but we all share the same love for adventure."

"Amen sister." Mikey nodded and lets out a big yawn. "Man... all this adventuring has gotten me pretty tired."

Ash rubbed his eyes. "Yeah. Me too."

"Even us adventurers need sleep too." Brock said as he took out his sleeping bag.

"So how do you guys sleep out here in the wilderness?" Misty asked as she took out her sleeping bag.

"We usually sleep in a pile that keeps us all warm and toasty." I said. "Akira and I are the toastiest out of the 6 of us." I got up as I stretched.

"Night night~!" Mikey yawns as he was resting with the boys and Akira in their turtle pile.

"Night guys." Ash said as he took out his sleeping bag and fell fast asleep with Pikachu by his side.

"Goodnight everyone. Sleep well." I said as I curled up while bringing Celebi out of my chest fur and onto my paws. "And you sleep well too my time traveling spirit friend." I nuzzled it and fell fast asleep.