Soulbound (TMNT '16) ❪✓❫

The Bear's Fish

Donatello rushed to the river that was connected to the waterfall Raph and Kri jumped off of. He was meeting up with the grizzly bear named Griz, who is currently tossing fish out of the running river.

The mutant turtle watched for a few seconds on the shore and was interested in every move the bear made to catch her dinner. He grinned when Griz bit into the salmon's floppy body and threw it to shore. She found it landed at Donnie's feet.

"Great fishing." He comments, kneeling to the jagged rocks. Griz snorted as she nodded once. "Griz, is it?"

"Oh, thank you. And yes. It took me some practice to catch them."

The third eldest turtle is still shocked by the communication he's able to do with the bear. Talking out loud as he gets a response from the animal, but it comes telepathically.

"I don't think I can catch these fish with my mouth like you." Said Donnie. "They are too fast."

The bear grunted quietly, she heard a very noisy fish make a ruckus as it was swimming upstream. She roared and didn't hesitate to chase it a few feet. Again, Donnie watches.

Griz chomped her jaws shut around the fish as it wiggled and flung water. She walks out of the cold river and set the fish down in a pile of other salmon she caught.

"Not too fast for me. I love fishing. Especially by myself." She licked her muzzle.

Donnie hugged his knees. "Does it help you take your mind off things?"

"Sometimes." Griz replied. "Wanna try?"

"Me? Oh, no." Donnie shook his head and retreats from the river, getting closer to the bushes. "Fishing isn't really my thing. I never loved doing things that include slippery animals. Science, math, reading, and other things are my hobby."

"Come on, Turtle. You're scared of a little bit of water?" Griz huffed with a small chuckle echoing in her head.

Donnie crossed his arms and sighed looking at the fish next to him. "Fine. I'll prove I'm not afraid of the water. And I can catch a fish with my hands."

The large furry animal stared at Donnie for a few seconds. Blue skies are going to turn pink and orange soon, and she didn't want Donnie to miss out of something he's never done before.

****

Donnie made many attempts to grab one fish with two hands. Jumping for it, clasping the tail for a split-second until it swam off into some rocks, he was ready to give up after just five minutes of hand fishing.

"Agh! This is impossible." He grunts.

"Don, you didn't even get wet. No wonder its impossible."

"Okay, then. Show me how its done."

Of course the natural born fisher caught a fish in less than five seconds and threw it on shore where it still flopped wildly. Donnie growls and stood still in the river, Griz had to give him a push.

"Try again. This time, try to imagine the fish as your loved ones in a field, running so you can tag them. Only you're catching them and eating these precious scaly things."

Donnie snorted at Griz's comparison, but he listened to the rest of her sentences.

"Then one day, you'll teach this to your kids, and they, too, will love fishing. Be smarter than the fish. Use a different idea you haven't used yet."

"Be smarter than the fish..." He repeated quietly. "Use a different idea."

The turtle in glasses nodded and inhaled softly to let out his breath. Donatello glanced ahead and saw the first fish coming, he lunged forward, closing his hands together on the animal and immediately slipping away.

He groaned and tried again. Fish after fish until Donnie grew tired of the fish games and stepped up his aggression to 'tag' the fish. Donnie pushed his glasses up farther to his nose and readied to close in on top of the salmon. Griz questioned his little idea inside his head and just waited until she got an answer.

Soon, Donnie backs up a few steps, and raises his left hand before the fish came at the right spot. Three, two, one, and he scooped its meaty body on shore.

With a splat, it lands in front of the bear. Griz groans in amazement and looked at the turtle in the purple mask.

"I learned to love something in a matter of minutes." He said shaking off the water from his hands, walking to dry land. Donnie felt accomplished for doing an outdoor activity with a real bear.

"Wow." She puffed air. "I'm impressed. And it is pretty hard to impress me, but easy to get my curiosity. Great job."

"Thank you, Griz." Donnie smiled at her majestic eyes.

****

Next up is Mikey and Shado!