Ever since the Shredder mysteriously vanished following Kraang's attempted invasion, the Foot clan has been in disarray. With the help of Chief Vincent and the police force, the Ninja Turtles have been gradually hunting them down and bringing them t...
《WARNING: This chapter contains abuse, sexual abuse, and manipulation. If you are triggered by any of these things please stop reading》
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I finally left the turtle brothers' hut after several hours of answering their questions. Who was I? How did the Kabuki clan work? How did one travel through realities? All sorts of questions. But the ones that stuck in my head the most were all of them asking why I did not tend to my arm.
Any normal person would've tended to their injury straight away, yes. But I was not ordinary, nor could I be considered human. Yes, blood stained my yukata, and I would have to mend it...
I pulled back my sleeve to inspect my arm, scratching away the dried blood to see my pale skin perfectly smooth underneath, and a small smirk spread over my lips. Sometimes...being inhuman had its perks, but the brothers didn't need to know that.
I let my sleeve fall back over my arm and headed to my own quarters, which were inside the palace. Being the second-best Kabuki warrior, the Daimyō always kept me and Misaki close to his side, in case of an attack. And for...other reasons.
Night had already fallen by the time I reached the palace. The Daimyō had settled the turtle brothers quite far, I assumed so that they would not disturb us. I hoped that they would settle in alright. They had also kept asking when they would get to go back home, and that question, unfortunately, I did not know. That wasn't for me to decide, but the Daimyō.
"Ryuko~" Misaki's smooth voice halted me in my tracks and sent cold shivers down my spine.
"Yes, Misaki?" I responded, keeping my head level. She only ever addressed me in such a way if she knew I was in trouble.
"You were out with the brothers for such a long time, the Daimyō himself was getting concerned," she cooed, her voice dripping with honey as she stepped in front of me, her long black hair down over her shoulders, giving more of a serpentine look to her. "You didn't...expose anything too much to them, did you?"
"If you mean my deformity, then no," I shook my head slightly. "You know very well I am far more disciplined than that."
Misaki tilted her head to one side, a wide smirk spreading over her lips. "Such an obedient pet you are, Ryuko... so subservient and meek, as always."
I clenched my jaw slightly, holding her gaze. "If there is nothing else of importance you wish to share with me, Misaki...I am retiring for the night."
I went to brush past her, but she grabbed my arm in a vice-like grip, making me freeze in place once again as she brought her lips close to my ear, her breath chillingly cold on my neck.
"The Daimyō wishes you to entertain him tonight," she hissed, her words making my blood run cold in my veins and my mouth turn dry. "He said you would not be punished, but you still need discipline for failing to control the creatures."
I turned my head slowly to glare at Misaki, refusing to let her see how badly her words terrified me.
"They are not 'creatures', Misaki. You and I, of all people, should know that better than anyone in this clan what it is like to be inhuman."
"I'm still more human than you," Misaki smirked, flashing her long fangs at me in the moonlight. "I don't need to hide my deformities because they make me more beautiful. But you-"
I had heard enough. Roughly, I yanked my arm from her grip and turned my back to Misaki. "Good night, Misaki."
Before she could open her vile mouth again, I walked away as quickly as I could, tucking my hands into my sleeves to hide how much they were shaking. Tonight had gone from bad to worse...
As I reached my room, I ripped my hairpin from my bun and tossed it onto my vanity, the gold pin clattering across the polished wood. I slammed my hands onto the top of my vanity and forced my eyes to lift to the mirror, to gaze upon the hideous creature I really was without the aid of cloaking magic.
Oh how I despised myself. My sickly grey-blue scales that covered every inch of my body, my red and blue eyes that had earnt me the nickname 'onryō'. My sharp, jagged teeth that were on par with a monster, and the hideous scars that covered my body.
I was...a monster. No amount of magic or discipline could change that. "Ryuko!" the Daimyō's harsh, angry voice made me whirl around so fast I knocked my vanity over with my arm.
"Daimyō!" I exclaimed, fumbling to find my hairpin, my heart pounding fearfully in my chest. "I-I was-"
"Oh, I am sorry, Ryuko," the Daimyō cooed softly, coming to my side as I searched for my hairpin. He reached out a hand and gently took a lock of my black hair in his fingers. His other hand reached out and gently cupped my cheek, brushing his thumb over my scales. "It was not my intention to frighten you, but you know how upset this form makes me feel, don't you?"
"O-oh course I do, Daimyō-" I gulped, unable to look away from his gaze. While his actions were gentle, his eyes held me with a fear that had chills running up and down my spine.
"You call me Mei, when we are alone, my dear Ryuko," he purred, picking up my hairpin from the floor and handed it to me, almost tenderly. "You have nothing to fear from me."
I gulped hard, taking the hairpin from him and I slid it into my hair. My form immediately shifted back to human and I saw the intensity of his gaze soften as he looked me up and down.
"Much better," he smiled, offering me a hand up. "Now, I've made you a special tea."
He gestured to a cup that sat on my bedside table, blue steam rising from it. My heart sank as I realized what it was. A powerful painkiller, meaning tonight was going to be long, and hard, and painful.
"I don't want to," I whispered, my chest tightening. I hated that stuff. It made me woozy and feel weak, powerless.
Mei gently wrapped his fingers around my shoulders, firmly guiding me towards the bed. "Don't you want to please me, Ryuko? Don't you want to see me and the clan happy? I can't bear to see you face twist in agony, so please...drink it. For me?"
His words echoed in my mind, tugging at my heart with the sincere concern in his voice. Hesitantly, I reached for the cup, although my instincts were screaming at me not to.
I had to do this...for the clan...to ensure my place here remained secure...for my own happiness.
I raised the cup to my lips, smelling the faint traces of the drug he'd spiked the tea with. I just had to endure this...with the tea in my system nothing would hurt...and I could pretend to enjoy myself.
I tipped my head back and swallowed every last drop, wincing as the hot liquid burned my throat on the way down. Almost immediately I felt my body grow heavy and weak, and my mind turned cloudy.
The Daimyō caught me before I collapsed and laid me out on the bed. As he climbed on top of me, I allowed my focus to slip...my eyes closing as I sank into blessed darkness, vaguely feeling the clothes slip away from my body.
This was necessary... I told myself. Necessary to ensure that no one knew what I really was, to ensure my safety here, and to ensure that I could always be...happy.
