Total Turtle Transformation (TMNT Book 4)

Black Roses

“Left?” Leo asked.

“Hello, guys!” someone said from the subway entrance. Olivia was coming in and I sighed in relief. She saved my shell.

“What are you doing back?” Raph asked.

“To introduce Rosalie,” Olivia answered, moving to the side and showing another human that looked similar to Olivia except more tanned skinned.

She waved a little nervously and stiffly. “Hi, I’m Rosalie. Friends with Olivia obviously.”

“I’m sorry, girls,” Leo sighed, shaking his head. “You came at the worst possible moment.”

“Oh, really?” Rosalie crossed her arms. “What’s so bad about now?”

Olivia was looking at us, but answered Rosalie’s question by asking, “Where’s the one with the black bandana?”

“There’s another one of them?” Rosalie asked. “You said that this was it: Seven.”

“There is,” Olivia sighed. “But the grey one’s a bit new…”

“My name’s Natasha,” Natasha said. “Natasha Ochs.”

Both girls froze and looked at Natasha closely, Olivia even coming in closer for a better look. Rosalie reached for Olivia before following her with a nervous glance at all of us.

“Natasha?” Olivia asked. “I haven’t seen you in five years and you come back like this?”

“Yeah,” Natasha nodded. “Alien robots took me and held me captive for five years.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Sophie said, getting up and looking at Natasha. “You know these girls?”

Natasha nodded, “Yeah. Olivia and I were best friends. As for Rosalie, we were just in the same class.”

Rosalie crossed her arms and said, “Well I’ve been doing good since last I saw you then.”

“What’ve you been up to?”

Raph nudged Leo and they left. Mikey, Sophie, and I each stayed to listen. It was different to see a human besides April all the time. Olivia doesn’t really visit, so I’m always anxious to see her.

“Well, I made the tennis team finally,” Rosalie answered. “I’m their best server and we made it to Nationals this year.”

“Really?” Natasha even sat down to listen. “I remember you not liking tennis, though.”

“Got into it after you disappeared…” Rosalie sighed.

“So,” Olivia said. “You wind up trapped and you now are living in the sewers with Mikito and the other Turtles, huh?”

“Yeah,” Natasha nodded. “They saved me, and I wasn’t sure what else to do. I can’t exactly return home.”

“Speeaaking of home,” Rosalie said nervously. “Your mom moved about a month ago, and she’s in Illinois.”

Natasha took that a little personal and asked, “Did she even look for me after I got lost?”

“You didn’t hear?” Olivia asked.

“Of course she couldn’t,” Sophie scoffed. “She was in a Kraang lab.”

“Okay, I don’t know what a Kraang is,” Rosalie said, pointing at Sophie before pointing at Natasha. “Your mom actually meant to loose you.”

“What?” Natasha asked, tears beginning to form. “How do you know?”

“That internet sight that you can posts things and whatnot. Facebook, right?” Olivia asked, turning to Rosalie.

Rosalie nodded, “Yeah. It was her last post then she didn’t talk with anyone else since. Until last month, she hasn’t been seen.”

Getting up, Natasha left the main room, going to the dojo. We watched her go, then I walked in after her. She had her whips out and was crying. Before I knew it, she was slashing them threw the air, the loud snapping sound echoing through the whole lair.

“I can’t believe her!” Natasha cried.

I came up beside her and set my hand on her shoulder. She turned to me and started crying on my own shoulder. “Now what am I going to do?”

“You can stay,” someone said behind me. We turned around and Splinter was looking at us. “Natasha, even though you have had a horrible past, a good future with us is what you will have.”

Olivia and Rosalie came in and paused, looking at Splinter. Mikey and Sophie came in behind them, trying to look past the two teenagers. We all looked at Splinter as he continued.

“Being one of us does not make you a freak, but apart of our family. We live, train, eat, and breathe together as one. If one gets injured, the rest of us will be there to heal them in their time of need.” Splinter put his hand on Natasha’s shoulder, looking into her eyes. “Even though your family abandoned you, this one will not.”

Breathing hard, Natasha nodded, rubbing her arm across her eyes. “Hai, Sensei.”

Splinter smiled and looked at me. He must’ve read something in them and he asked, “Where is Naomi?”

“Who doesn’t?” Raph said from the dojo entrance. “Seriously.”

“She left.” I answered. “I don’t know where. And I don’t know when she’ll be back. Last night she said she’d leave after Raph’s prediction.”

“And a couple weeks before that,” Raph continued. “She gave the save a life, end a life prediction. And she told me something.”

“What?” Splinter asked, looking at us all. “What did she tell you Raphael?”

“That if she goes, she’ll turn into someone she’s not. Then told me to continue to act toward her as I have.”

Looking at each of us, Splinter sighed, stroking his beard. “This is not good…”

“What’s not good?” Sophie asked.

“Look at the signs,” Olivia said. “Honestly. Turning into someone she’s not? Going?”

“And I had a dream…” I said softly. “It was weird…”

“What was it?” Splinter asked. “Because I seem to have an idea of where Naomi went.”

“I was in my old lair. It was empty… Something in my head pulled me to the dojo and then the doors closed. Then the lights went out and I was talking with someone… I think it was Naomi. After I guessed it was her, the lights turned on and then the door opened back up.”

Everyone looked thoughtful. Except Splinter. “I know where Naomi went…”

“With all this information?” Natasha asked. “And so quickly?”

“Yes… and no.” Splinter said. He turned around and then sighed, turning back around. “The information was helpful, but before last night, Naomi explained much to me.”

“So she doesn’t just talk to us…” Sophie said.

“Yes,” Splinter said. “She does talk to you, just not as much as she does with us. What she told me was this, ‘When the shadow leaves, it will become a much darker shadow with a more darkening path. It will not act like the dark shadow, but look like it. Soon, the shadow will return to it’s lair with a lavender side.’”

“She is a fortune cookie…” Sophie muttered. “But what does it mean?”

“I know the first part,” Splinter replied. “Naomi will turn into a FootClan soldier…”